The world has been watching Ferguson, Mo. after the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson. Images from that city’s streets after the ongoing protests and riots look strikingly similar to what we have grown accustomed to seeing in parts of the world that are far different than the United States – areas that don’t practice diplomacy, areas that don’t have the freedoms afforded to Americans.
And yet while Ferguson is far in geographical terms from places like Libya, Gaza, and India; there are so many similarities: the riots, the protests, the looks of despair, confusion, and anger on the faces of residents; and the tear gas. All these similarities make an already unfortunate reality even more real.
The reality of this instance and the countless others that are similar in scope is two-fold: 1. there is an obvious bias when it comes to some white officers and Blacks, particularly Black males and 2. some people in general, including Blacks, have an obvious lack of respect for authority.
When those two “ills” collide, the end result can be incredibly dangerous and in some cases, deadly.
Relative to Point 1, many in the African-American community have felt for years that some police officers unfairly profile or reprimand Blacks. Such perspectives have resulted in generations of mistrust for law enforcement personnel. In regards to Ferguson, numbers don’t lie. Here’s a sampling of 2013 racial profiling data compiled by the Missouri attorney general’s office that support the position many Blacks in that city feel:
- Of the 5,384 police stops, 4,632 of those individuals were Black, 686 were white, and the rest were other.
- Of the 521 arrests, 483 were Blacks, 36 were white
- Of the 2,612 males who were stopped in their vehicles, 2,197 were Black, while only 373 were white males.
While some of you reading this may not want to accept the truth of Point 2, it is indeed a reality. Many in our community have an obvious disrespect for authority figures. Whether those authority figures are Black or white often does not play a role. At its core, this stems from ineffective parenting early on. If parents don’t hold children accountable for their disrespectful or defiant ways, those children eventually grow up to be unaccountable, disrespectful teens and then adults. We are seeing the effects of this now more than ever.
Despite the “realness” of my earlier points, the problems still persist, so where do we go from here?
For starters we need more cultural competency and sensitivity training in law enforcement – beginning as early as the training academy and continuing on throughout an officer’s career. There has to be constant education and it’s imperative that the proper ramifications are instituted if law enforcement personnel don’t adhere to the expectations set before them. That, and people being vigilant about reporting an officer’s maltreatment of citizens, are the only ways to quickly address the issue of racial profiling and disproportionate arrests, sentencing, etc.
From the public’s perspective, we need to respect authority – even when those authority figures may be in the wrong. Then we need to deal with correcting the situation later on when cooler heads prevail and others are involved. Some may consider this “bowing down” to police, but that is better than escalating the situation.
We don’t have the official reports relative to the altercation between Brown and Officer Wilson, but if what witnesses say is true, Brown probably should have just gotten on the sidewalk as instructed rather than refuse and say something to the effect of, “we’re almost home.”
I am not suggesting we give up our rights or basic freedoms, I am, however saying that we need to learn how to fight or resist differently; in a manner that will not only be more effective, but also life-saving.
My heart is heavy with grief as I think of the conversation parents of young Black boys and teens have to have with their children relative to encountering law enforcement. Those conversations need to be handled in a way that clearly sets boundaries, while also preserving the dignity and confidence of our youth. Those conversations are tough ones to have, but essential.
Check out next week’s Recorder to learn how to have such difficult, yet necessary dialogue with youth.
