The Police Scare The Hell Out Of Me

-
I'm a Black man with a Ph.D. Yet, I'm afraid of the police - white, Latino, black, Asian - because I understand even the most routine encounter with them could result in my death. I tense up every time I see them sitting on the side of the road, mentally preparing myself to be stopped, rehearsing in my mind what to say when pulled over. I check my speed, check my lights, and hope that a taillight isn't broken. After I pass them, I check my rear view mirror to see if I'm being followed. The times I've been stopped have been more than annoying; I was terrified that something might go wrong and feel like I dodged a bullet when I've been able to drive away.

Enough said!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Neoliberalism, the Fiscal Cliff, and the Fate of Black People

-
Image
As was the case in 2008, when I voted for Barack Obama for president in 2012, I did not embrace the fantasy (perhaps, it should be referred to as "the delusion") that many of my liberal and progressive friends had that Obama was secretly a "lefty" and shared our values and that his "middle of the road approach" on the campaign trail was a ruse, a stratagem, subterfuge, a cleaver maneuver on his part designed to hoodwink white people hesitant to support a black man for president. Once in office, some black people I know invoking a righteously indignant tone preached to me, the president would be the progressive we had all been hoping and praying for after 8 years of George W. Bush. Reality has set in for most people on the left. The president is not a "lefty." Although I believe he is slightly left of center, he does not share our core leftist values or our leftist economic and political agenda. But I voted for him two times. Explain y
Read more

No Surprise Here: Growing Socioeconomic Segregation and Racial and Ethnic Isolation In the Schools.

-
The U.S. Department of Education National Center for Educational Statistics recently released its annual Condition of Education report. This year's report includes a special section that focuses on high-poverty schools in America, examining the types and locations of schools, the characteristics of the students and their teachers and principals; and student achievement. According to the report, The Condition in Education 2010 , socioeconomic segregation in the nation's public elementary and secondary schools is on the rise, leading to a wide and persistent gap in educational achievement between racial and ethnic groups. Between the 1999-2000 and 2007-2008 school year, the percentage of students who attended high-poverty schools (schools in which 76-100 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch (FRPL)) increased from 12 percent to 17 percent – a 42 percent jump. Just about 20 percent of elementary school students and 6 percent of secondary school stude
Read more

What the Black Community Can Learn From A Tragic and Senseless Death

-
Image
I am still in shock about the death of a former student, Tiana Notice. Only 25, Tiana was a bright, talented, articulate, and highly motivated student who was making a difference in the world. Tiana had done a lot in her short time with us. She earned a bachelor’s degree in politics and government in 2007, and was pursuing a master’s degree in the School of Communication. While pursing her bachelor’s degree, she almost singlehandedly founded the University of Hartford chapter of the Roosevelt Institution , a national network of student think-tanks that conduct policy research on pressing issues. Tiana was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, James Carter II. Tiana did what was expected of victims of intimate partner violence (IPV); she got a restraining order. However, that did not stop her ex-boyfriend from stalking and harassing her and finally on Valentine’s Day, stabbing her to death. When I first heard about her death, I wondered how someone with the smarts and abilities of Tiana could
Read more