The selective legislative and court decisions cited in this research show evidence that racial profiling has always existed in this country. American laws have promulgated de jure and de facto racial profiling, which has continued to this present day. Racial profiling is not confined to the illegal practices of targeting, questioning, and arresting minority group members by law enforcement officials because of their involvement in criminal activity; it is systemic and pervasive in private and public institutions. Other minority groups are racially profiled; however, this article focuses on racial profiling of African-Americans. This article provides a sociohistorical perspective of selected legislative and court decisions that promulgated racial profiling. Although the earlier legislative and court decisions were legal, they were decisions that contributed to racial profiling. The enforcement of these decisions was based on the degree of ethnic or racial visibility. This research used a critical review of historical documents. Selected materials from archives, newspapers, the Internet, and professional publications are reviewed. References