Final answer:
The statement addresses the differential treatment of crimes based on race, emphasizing that white on white crime is underreported compared to crimes involving people of color. Historical figures like Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells worked to change these perceptions and challenge discriminatory narratives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase "it is not native crime which is the problem, it is white crime" highlights the often overlooked issue of white on white crime in contrast to the way crimes involving people of color are reported and perceived. Historically, African American leaders like Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells fought to challenge narratives that vilified nonwhite individuals while ignoring the prevalence of crimes committed within white communities. The discussion also points out the xenophobic attitudes and uses historical and contemporary examples to illustrate how crimes are racially coded in public discourse, with white criminality frequently minimized or excused while crimes committed by people of color are sensationalized or seen as emblematic of entire communities.
Issues like media bias, racial discrimination, and historical context are crucial when examining the rhetoric surrounding crime. The mention of Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells emphasizes the persistent struggle against the mischaracterization of crimes based on race. Their work sought to dismantle false narratives and confront head-on the realities of violence and prejudice that were, and continue to be, disproportionately attributed to people of color.