Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Through Savage Dogs: Police Dogs, African Americans, And Opportunity For Change Amidst The Civil Rights Movement, Kyle Oswald

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

How did the use of police dogs affect the American civil rights movement? This paper argues that police dogs during the movement furthered the protesters’ cause through violent conflicts between law enforcement and protesters. The use of police dogs during this movement characterized the interconnected historical struggle between African Americans and the white supremacist status quo represented by law enforcement. While initially serving as tools for law enforcement to fight crime, police dogs became brutal symbols of the status quo’s power against the protesters. However, instead of ceding to the status quo, protestors embraced a form of martyrdom to continue …