Race played a huge role in determining a relationship with the London police after the mass migration of non-Caucasians. The poem "Sonny's Lettah" by Linton Kwesi Johnson provides a clear depiction of how the black race was treated on the streets and their relationship with authority figures. The poem also describes the relationships of black individuals in London to each other and their willingness to defend each other. The poem's narrator, Sonny, is writing a letter to his mother describing an unprovoked accident on the side of the road involving him, a man named Jim, and the police. The incident described in the letter highlights the unfair treatment of individuals of a different skin color by police and the punishments meted out for attempting to defend themselves. The nationality of the poem's narrator is made clear not by the physical description, but rather by the language used. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Caribbean language is the clue that lets readers know that Sonny is not originally from Britain and is a black individual. In his letter he states that he promised his mother to take care of Jim, but despite this promise, Jim was targeted and ended up arrested.[1] It's clear that Sonny and Jim are doing nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing that should have drawn police attention to them. It was just another normal evening in London, they were simply minding their own business when they were approached by officers: One a den hol awn to Jim | look at him, let him in; | Jim tell him to let him go | far from him not dhu notn.[2] This narrative is a clear example of suspicious policing. Police were known to target young black men and arrest them not for committing a crime, but on suspicion that they were about to commit one. Since no clear reason was stated as to why the police would specifically target Jim, it is clear that Jim is antagonized over his race and this was a police suspect in action. It can also be assumed from the narrative that the police were having fun attacking Jim because "the police start giggling".[3] From this it can be deduced that attacking another race could be considered a form of police entertainment. Unfortunately, there was little these targeted people could do to counter the police and their attacks. The police considered themselves superior to the black police. Even worse, there was no one to monitor the actions of the police and tell them that their racial targeting was wrong. In Sonny's description of the attack on Jim in the letter, he never mentions any attempt by Jim to retaliate against the police. Sonny, however, had promised to protect Jim, which is why he couldn't just watch Jim be abused and do nothing to help him. So Sonny fought back against the police in an attempt to do the right thing by Jim and his race. So Sonny: …Get it in the eye | and he starts crying | my triumph in him mout | and he began to shout | they kick me in a frying pan, he in the shin | and he began to spin | I triumph, he, he, the chin | and throw it in a bin.[4] At that particular moment it seemed that Sonny saw violence as his only option to defend not only Jim, but also all those who shared their struggle against the police. If Sonny had stood by and watched as they attacked Jim, the police force would have won. They would see nothing wrong with their actions and would continue to target individuals similar to Jim. This was Sonny's attempt at suppressionthe police and their actions. Sonny's choice, however, did not end in triumph for him, and in a sense the police still won over Sonny and his race. Sonny's retaliation, however, ended with the victory of the police force in their assault. Because of the violence, “dem charges Jim fi sus, | den charge mi fi murdah”.[5] While Sonny only had the best intentions of helping Jim, he caused more harm than help by fatally wounding a police officer in his retaliation for their abuse. In this sense the police managed to maintain their superiority by making Sonny and his ilk the bad guys. Not only did Jim end up in custody, which was their original target, but so did Sonny. At the end of the letter, though, Sonny doesn't seem to be too upset, which is strange given the situation he's found himself in. In the letter he says to his mother: Mom, | don't worry, | don't get depressed | and heartless. | Courage. | until I hear from you.[6] Sonny's race was constantly repressed and mistreated by the police. It had affected Sonny when they attacked Jim, and it had become even more personal when Sonny chose to get involved in the fight against abuse, ending up in prison himself. However, the narrator ends his letter on a tone of optimism. He is telling his mother that even though he is in prison, she shouldn't worry about him or be angry about his current situation. He'll be fine. Is it because Sonny considers himself safer in prison than he felt day to day on the streets? When he was free he was a target that the police randomly chose to attack. At least under their custody this is no longer a possibility, the worst may already be behind us. It is clear throughout the poem that the police did not think highly of individuals of a race other than their own. They treated them horribly and targeted them unfairly. Unfortunately, there was little that individuals of different races could do to defend themselves. Fighting the police was a losing battle, but in Sonny's case he felt it was better to fight back than simply remain a bystander. The exact relationship between Sonny and Jim is never specified in the poem. It is never specified whether Jim is Sonny's brother, cousin, or simply a friend. In this way Jim is able to represent a much larger cause. Rather than being one person, Jim represents the entire black population of London in this time of change. It's anyone who has been targeted by suspicious police. In the poem it is made clear that Sonny knew Jim because he had previously promised his mother that he would protect Jim the best he could. But in the grand scheme of things, Sonny could be any member of the community who cares for other members of his race. Sonny represents anyone who was fighting racial injustice, anyone who was willing to fight back against the police, anyone who was willing to take a stand and was optimistic that they could make a difference. Although black citizens did not have a good relationship with the police, they had excellent relationships with each other. During this time, the color of their skin united them. The color of their skin gave them a common enemy and a cause to fight for. Sonny was clearly willing to put his own safety and freedom on the line to help Jim, because it wasn't just Jim he was helping but his entire community in London. This could be another reason why Sonny was okay with going to prison. He knew there was another Sonny out there, another black individual who had made a promise to his mother, a promise that they would help all the Jims in their lives. There are two relationships detailed in "Sonny's Lettah" by Linton Kwesi Johnson. The first is the poor relationship between those of color in the, 65-70.