Black Crime is one of the hardest topics to talk about in America today. I’ve lived 55 years in this country, and I’ve watched the cultural pendulum swing. It sounds racist even to bring it up, but I’m not talking about prejudice—I’m talking about facts, drawn directly from the FBI and Department of Justice, and about the media’s determined silence. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Black Crime ignored while other narratives are elevated.
Featured Snippet Takeaway:
The FBI’s latest 2024 data show violent crime fell 4.5% nationwide, but the per-capita rate of Black Crime remains far higher than any other group. The media refuses to confront this reality, not because the numbers aren’t true, but because they don’t fit the narrative.
Why Irina Zarutska’s Murder Matters
On August 22, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was brutally stabbed to death on a Charlotte light-rail train. The story was heartbreaking—an innocent woman, who fled war in Ukraine, murdered in cold blood while simply riding public transit in America (AP News).
This case should have dominated the headlines. It should have provoked a national conversation about crime, safety, and justice. But instead, it barely registered beyond local news and a few conservative outlets. National networks were silent. Major newspapers said almost nothing.
Compare that to cases like Jordan Neely’s death on the New York subway, where the Marine Daniel Penny restrained him. That story became a media firestorm for months, framed as a tale of racial injustice. Why the difference? Why is Zarutska’s brutal murder not worthy of the same outrage?
The answer is uncomfortable but clear: the racial dynamics don’t fit the narrative the media wants to push.
The 2024 FBI Report: Crime Is Down, But Disparities Remain
This summer, the FBI released its 2024 Uniform Crime Report. The headlines were historic:
*Violent crime dropped 4.5% nationwide from 2023.
*Homicides fell nearly 15%, the sharpest decline in decades.
*Robbery, assault, and property crimes also fell across most categories.
On the surface, this is wonderful news. Less crime means fewer lives destroyed, fewer families shattered.
But here’s the truth the media won’t tell you: those overall gains don’t change the per-capita disparities in who commits violent crime and who suffers most from it. The numbers show clearly that Black Crime remains the most disproportionate factor in those disparities. The numbers are stubborn, and they reveal a hard reality that has remained consistent for years.
Black Crime: What the Latest Data Reveal
“Per Capita” Is the Only Honest Comparison
Critics often respond to these facts by saying, “Well, there are more white people in America, so of course their total crime numbers are higher.” That’s misleading. The only fair way to compare is per capita—how many crimes per 100,000 people.
That’s apples-to-apples. It strips away the size of the population and shows the true risk and disproportion.
Black Crime
Here are the government’s own numbers:
Homicide victimization rates (per 100,000 people):
– Black Americans: about 21
– White Americans: about 3
– Asian Americans: about 1–2
That means Black Americans are murdered at over six times the rate of Whites and more than ten times the rate of Asians.
Intraracial patterns:
– About 91% of Black homicide victims are killed by Black offenders.
– About 81% of White homicide victims are killed by White offenders.
So while most crime happens within racial groups, the per-capita toll in Black communities is far higher.
Broader Patterns: Asian & Latino Communities
This isn’t just about Black and White. When you look at other groups, the pattern becomes even clearer:
Asian violent crime victimization is the lowest of all major racial categories—roughly half the rate of Whites and far below the Black rate.
Latino violent crime victimization generally tracks close to Whites (about 18–19 per 1,000), well below Black levels.
Incarceration rates per 100,000 people:
– Black: ~2,300
– Hispanic: ~830
– White: ~450
– Asian: ~210
These aren’t opinions. They’re hard facts. They show that crime is not evenly distributed across groups, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
Why the Media Won’t Report It
So why won’t the media talk about this? Why do they bury cases like Irina Zarutska’s murder while blowing up stories that reinforce white guilt and systemic racism narratives?
Because many in the media are still trapped in the shadow of history. They view every crime story through the lens of slavery, segregation, and Jim Crow. They feel a debt is owed, and in their minds, the scales must be tipped.
That’s why a white-on-black crime will be amplified endlessly, while a black-on-white or black-on-Asian crime gets quietly ignored. It’s not about the value of the victim’s life—it’s about the usefulness of the story for advancing a worldview. This is why reports of Black Crime are so often buried—because they don’t serve the cultural narrative the media wants to push.
But justice cannot be built on guilt or selective outrage. Justice must be impartial.
My Lifetime Witness
I was born in 1970—after civil rights legislation. My whole life, I’ve watched wave after wave of programs designed to “repay the debt”: affirmative action, quotas, DEI initiatives. Entire generations have grown up under policies meant to balance the scales of history.
And yet, no matter how much is done, the narrative remains that America is still an oppressive society. The pendulum has swung from genuine injustice before civil rights to a cultural climate where truth itself is sacrificed at the altar of historical guilt.
Meanwhile, the real tragedy is ignored: the devastation within Black communities themselves. Per-capita crime rates show the highest toll falls on Black victims at the hands of Black offenders. Where is the outrage for them? Where is the media campaign to protect Black lives from the violence in their own neighborhoods?
I’ve written before about crime in cities like Chicago and how Christians must respond with both truth and compassion (Chicago Crime, Federal Troops, and the Christian Response). What’s happening in Charlotte today is another chapter in the same sad story.
A Christian Call to Impartial Justice
Scripture is clear: God’s standard of justice doesn’t play favorites.
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” (Leviticus 19:15)
“You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality…” (Deuteronomy 16:19)
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Justice in God’s eyes is impartial. It isn’t tilted to pay back historical wrongs, and it isn’t silenced to avoid offending cultural sensibilities. Truth is truth. Sin is sin. Murder is murder.
When the media chooses silence, it betrays the very idea of justice.
This is why I’ve often written about what true obedience to God looks like. Real love means aligning with His truth, not culture’s shifting standards (Love Without Obedience Isn’t Really Love).
Final Word
The murder of Iryna Zarutska is a tragic reminder of both the evil of violence and the dishonesty of selective outrage. The FBI’s 2024 data confirm that while overall violent crime is falling, per-capita Black Crime remains disproportionately high and underreported. Until America faces the truth about Black Crime, justice will remain selective, and victims like Iryna Zarutska will be forgotten.
If we truly want justice, we cannot afford to keep ignoring these facts. As Christians, we must call for honesty, impartiality, and compassion for all victims. History is important, but it cannot be used as a blank check to excuse sin or to silence the truth.
It’s time to stop letting narratives dictate which lives matter in the headlines. All lives are precious before God—and every crime deserves justice, no matter who the victim is or what story the media wants to tell.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
Media Bias in the Murder of Iryna Zarutska
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