Black in America
CNN's Soledad O'Brien has put together a documentary, Black in America, and is writing a series of companion pieces for it. Here's one about three 20-something black women who were detained for shoplifting at an Old Navy in Georgia. No evidence was produced, and no apology was offered. The women chalk it up to racial profiling. (The manager has since been fired.)
About 15 years ago, my sister, her then husband, who is black, and I went shopping in Hutchinson, Kansas, a city of about 40,000 near the town where I grew up.
As soon as we entered one store, I become aware of the store staff perking up and watching my brother-in-law like a hawk. I hadn't ever witnessed such an obvious and blatant reaction to someone simply shopping. It happened as soon as we entered the store, and he hadn't behaved any differently than my sister and I had.
I asked him about it... it was far too familiar an experience for him.
About 15 years ago, my sister, her then husband, who is black, and I went shopping in Hutchinson, Kansas, a city of about 40,000 near the town where I grew up.
As soon as we entered one store, I become aware of the store staff perking up and watching my brother-in-law like a hawk. I hadn't ever witnessed such an obvious and blatant reaction to someone simply shopping. It happened as soon as we entered the store, and he hadn't behaved any differently than my sister and I had.
I asked him about it... it was far too familiar an experience for him.
posted by michael at 5:32 PM
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3 Comments:
Give me a break!!!!!!
Really? We're still talking about racism are we? Really?
Have you ever stopped to think how strange it is that the only racists are white?
Being black in America is a problem, however. Being non-white is a problem.
If you're white, ask yourself how many times a police officer who stops you for speeding wants to know whether there are any drugs or weapons in the car. Low percentage.
If you're of color, this happens all the time. You are treated like a criminal and not like a citizen.
In the CNN story, three young women were wrongly detained. However, teenage women in a group are the most common suspects for shoplifting. So the example was a very poor one.
The OLD Navy situation given at CNN is just not living on the same street as racial inequality. It's not even on the same planet.
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