Brutalized Available to Purchase

The disturbing case of the 1997 torture and rape of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima by NYPD officers is taken up as a focal point in this chapter. It examines the interplay between police brutality, Black religions, and the enduring legacy of slavery in everyday police practices. The chapter highlights how the logic of slave patrols, rooted in the sadistic violence against Black people, continues to shape the contemporary racial laboratory. It explores how this logic perpetuates the dehumanization of Black people, allowing for the deployment of excessive force by law enforcement. Through an exploration of how Vodou religions were activated in the Louima case, the chapter critiques the White trope of Black aggression and demonstrates the modalities through which Afro-Latiné practitioners combat these constructions.