General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsProfiling. I was reading an article on "Raw Story" about a Canadian man who
was called in as suspicious because people saw him (a black man) sitting in a car by the ocean for a couple of hours reading a book. Of course, the RCMP pulled him over and checked him out for being so "suspicious."
Snip
Before any more Canadians get too comfortable on their high horses, let me share with you what happened to me about an hour ago, he began his description of the event on Instagram with the hashtag #DangerousNegro. This week has not been easy for me. Amidst a number of personal and professional struggles, my mind has been occupied with the latest string of black males killed by the police over the last few days. So, instead of stewing in my apartment, I decided to take a drive to the Stonehaven Wharf and sit by the water on this cold, rainy July day and try to pacify my mind by reading the works of Timothy Keller and C.S. Lewis.
Dauphin said that he was sitting by the ocean for a couple of hours and decided to drive back home. He sees the police car speed past him and then another one come up behind him. His immediate concern was he might have been speeding and not noticed, but a spot check revealed he was fine and didnt think anything of it. Thats when the lights came on.
He said that the officer was kind and respectful, given the circumstances. He smiles and says that a few citizens in Janeville called the police because of a suspicious black man in a white car was parked at the Wharf for a couple hours. My response, Really? I was just reading a book. He smiles, shrugs and replies, Well, you know, its a small town. And proceeds to ask me for my license. He verifies my information and sends me on my way.
So, a black male, sitting in his car, reading a book is suspicious activity. Good to know, Dauphin concluded. At this rate, I may never leave my home again.
SNIP
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/07/black-parks-and-recs-director-stopped-by-police-for-reading-book-outside/
A post in the article's comment section included this image:
?w=600&h
We have learned that slave patrols formed the organized foundation for police departments in the south, but I had no idea that the patrollers wore badges that looked so similar to the badges warn by modern LEOs!
Maraya1969
(22,516 posts)is not at all like it is here but I have also been told of some ignorant people bullying my young great nieces and nephews.
I hate it. I hate it.
It is good to keep these reminders up so people know that a lot of people's hard position in life is set up by society. And if Oprah can be told she "can't afford anything here" in a store in France then the problem is so much more wide spread than we know of.
Maybe intensive sensitivity training should be more widespread. The type where they make a white person to look like a black person with special makeup and have them walk around and actually experience what it is like to be black for a while.
I think that would be a great training for police!