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MrScorpio

(73,626 posts)
Mon May 14, 2018, 06:56 AM May 2018

White Fragility Digest #2: 14 May 2018

Black sorority members performing a community service are questioned by police

By Melanie Eversley - May 13, 2018




At the end of a week that has been eventful for Black people taking part in “controversial” activities ranging from napping to walking outside of their Airbnb guest home while melanated comes another case out of Harrisburg, Penn. Members of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority were performing community service by cleaning up the area around the 13th Street exit of Highway 83 in Harrisburg when a state trooper pulled up behind the group of young women and asked them if they were fighting, Facebook user Shawna Naomi of Hershey, PA, posted on Saturday. The post has since been deleted.

“I’ve never seen anyone out here cleaning and I’m responding to a call,” the trooper said, according to the post.

Naomi and the other sorority members explained who they are and that they’d just finished cleaning up needles, bottles, diapers and other trash, according to the post. The trooper asked for their identification and schools to which they responded with information about their professions and other details, Naomi posted.

The trooper then ran their identification through his system and handed their cards back, Naomi posted. It was only then that he commended the young women for their “great work.”

https://thegrio.com/2018/05/13/add-performing-a-community-service-while-black-to-list-of-things-that-will-get-you-questioned-by-police/


"White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress, leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium."

Robin DiAngelo, Ph.D
32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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White Fragility Digest #2: 14 May 2018 (Original Post) MrScorpio May 2018 OP
BOSTON POLICE SURROUNDED US AT A CEMETERY BASED ON A FALSE TIP MrScorpio May 2018 #1
Oh gawd.. now there's no Cha May 2018 #4
Existing While Black: Irrational Fear Is the New Breed of Racism MrScorpio May 2018 #2
K&R n/t OneGrassRoot May 2018 #3
The cemetery one is a major overreaction by police... GitRDun May 2018 #5
That's the thing. Ligyron May 2018 #16
I would think if I were a cop, Volaris May 2018 #22
Calling police without a legitimate emergency is a crime and should be prosecuted IronLionZion May 2018 #24
I think of all the times I've looked at people picking up roadside trash and thought... Girard442 May 2018 #6
#Pocfrightitis griloco May 2018 #7
What is POW? IronLionZion May 2018 #26
POW prisoner of war. Better to just say WP,whites or white people IMO , if that is what you meant lunasun May 2018 #29
There was a topic, somewhat satirical this weekend, about People of Whiteness Blue_Adept May 2018 #30
Police officers need training to think gollygee May 2018 #8
I know that this is only a fantasy, but... Girard442 May 2018 #9
Yeah that would be nice nt gollygee May 2018 #12
My husband was a cop. tavernier May 2018 #19
No, it doesn't make the news when police officers do their job properly gollygee May 2018 #21
Here is another BumRushDaShow May 2018 #10
Racist pricks.. HipChick May 2018 #11
Why was the post deleted? Tipperary May 2018 #13
Why does it matter? salin May 2018 #17
possibly harassment after posting plenty of online racists too lunasun May 2018 #31
I hope you don't mind if I add a link salin May 2018 #14
I'll do that MrScorpio May 2018 #18
K&R ismnotwasm May 2018 #15
K&R geardaddy May 2018 #20
K&R mcar May 2018 #23
Wypipo. Madampiece Theater May 2018 #25
Kick dalton99a May 2018 #27
Vote Republican or don't vote to support. Democrat to oppose. Hortensis May 2018 #28
K&R Gothmog May 2018 #32

MrScorpio

(73,626 posts)
1. BOSTON POLICE SURROUNDED US AT A CEMETERY BASED ON A FALSE TIP
Mon May 14, 2018, 06:58 AM
May 2018



by Arielle Gray*, AFROPUNK Contributor

I never thought I’d be surrounded by over 10 cops at a cemetery, of all places. A bodega maybe or even on the street in my hood but a cemetery? Somehow, the place where we mourn our dead always seemed like sacred space to me. But it seems that black people cannot even honor their deceased in peace.

On April 20th, Boston Police Department’s Youth Violence Strike Force surrounded my boyfriend, his brother, their female friend and myself at a cemetery in Hyde Park, MA. We were there to celebrate my boyfriend’s deceased cousin- it was his birthday. My boyfriend’s brother brought a Happy Birthday balloon, which he tied to the grave. We stood in relative silence, occasionally broken by their reminiscing of their cousin’s life. Less than 10 minutes after our arrival, BPD had us completely surrounded.

When we saw the 5 unmarked black trucks speed into the empty cemetery, we didn’t think too much of it. But when over 10 officers got out and approached us, we all knew something was terribly wrong. “Put your hands up,” an officer said walking towards us, with his hand on his holster. The other officers closed in on us. Knowing all too well what happens when black bodies don’t comply, we put our hands in the air. None of us dared reach for our phones to record. They searched all of us while we stood on my boyfriend’s cousin’s grave. They asked us our names and if we had any prior arrests, all questions we were not legally obligated to answer. But fear made us answer anyways. After they were done searching us, we asked them what the probable cause was, to which they only responded with “a tip”. They left in a hurry, meanwhile telling us they meant no “disrespect”. I tried to get one of the officer’s badge numbers as they walked away. He did comply but my hands were shaking so bad, I couldn’t correctly type the numbers. My phone died just as he turned away from me.

My boyfriend and I immediately knew who called in the tip. Right at the entrance of the cemetery was a house that we pulled my Prius in front of briefly to let another car pass us. We noticed that the occupants, a white couple who had just gone inside, reopened the front door and stared at us until we pulled into the cemetery. We were there for maybe 30 seconds but that must’ve been too long for their comfort.

http://afropunk.com/2018/05/boston-police-surrounded-us-at-a-cemetery-based-on-a-false-tip/

MrScorpio

(73,626 posts)
2. Existing While Black: Irrational Fear Is the New Breed of Racism
Mon May 14, 2018, 07:00 AM
May 2018



By RICHARD J. REDDICK May 11, 2018
It has been a banner year for discrimination. Two recent events on college campuses at Colorado State University and Yale bring issues of hyper-surveillance and white supremacy to the forefront.

At Colorado State University, a white woman called campus police after noticing two Native American young men on the tour, who she claimed weren’t part of it and were acting “odd.” The teens were removed from the tour and questioned by police. More recently, a video recorded by a black graduate student at Yale went viral after a white woman called the police because the graduate student was sleeping in a common area of a campus building.

The ultimate outcome in both incidents was that the people of color assumed to be troublesome were questioned, surrendered significant time, and endured psychological duress, but were ultimately released—with the trauma of being interrogated for existing.

The impact of stereotyping and bias for black people and other people of color is more than annoyance; institutional racism ensures that white people can enact their personal fears, no matter how irrational, into state-sanctioned consequences ranging from police involvement to violence. Our society reflects on the impact of personal prejudice on the lives of people of color and understands the repercussions of escalating individual experiences of mistrust.

Social media has ensured that these stories and others like them are part of the national consciousness, with hashtags such as #ShoppingWhileBlack and #NappingWhileBlack. The more appropriate hashtag might be #ExistingWhileBlack, as these instances experienced by black people and people of color illuminate how routine life experiences can take a radical turn for the worse when some white people respond to their own discomfort by calling security or police. For people of color, police encounters for nonissues are not only annoying; they can also be catastrophic. There are legion examples of seemingly routine exchanges that have resulted in extreme escalation, including death.

http://fortune.com/2018/05/11/black-yale-student-napping-racism-childish-gambino-this-is-america/

GitRDun

(1,846 posts)
5. The cemetery one is a major overreaction by police...
Mon May 14, 2018, 08:03 AM
May 2018

The cop on the highway read like a guy just doing his job.

When I read these accounts (which I think are very important for all of us to see), I'm most disgusted with the people who call the police.

Somehow we need to get to them.. I can't say I know how, but they are a huge part of the problem.

They are not prosecuted.

They are not subject to any social or peer pressure to check their fragility at the door.

Maybe PSA's like they used to run on bullying, smoking, and other topics.

Keep them coming...amazing how often it happens.

Ligyron

(7,592 posts)
16. That's the thing.
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:15 AM
May 2018

The cops have to respond no matter how bs the call-in turns out to be. It can often go downhill from there.

IDK what the remedy is, civil lawsuits if it does, I guess.

Volaris

(10,260 posts)
22. I would think if I were a cop,
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:49 AM
May 2018

And I were the one that had to respond and I knew it was BS, those would likely be the first words out of my mouth.

Hi all. I get that you're all in a cemetery. I'm here (probably) because of some BS, but I gotta check. Everybody cool?
OK good.
Sorry to bother u.
Have a nice day.

IronLionZion

(45,256 posts)
24. Calling police without a legitimate emergency is a crime and should be prosecuted
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:58 AM
May 2018

meanwhile black and brown victims of crimes are hesitant to call police for fear that they'll be shot in their own homes, which has already happened.

Girard442

(6,059 posts)
6. I think of all the times I've looked at people picking up roadside trash and thought...
Mon May 14, 2018, 08:43 AM
May 2018

...yeah, they could easily be gang members having a brawl.

griloco

(832 posts)
7. #Pocfrightitis
Mon May 14, 2018, 08:46 AM
May 2018

Last edited Mon May 14, 2018, 03:39 PM - Edit history (1)

#Pocfrightitis: an irrational fear of POC afflicting mostly POWh manifested often by calling the police to report POC appearing suddenly POCingWPOC.

lunasun

(21,646 posts)
29. POW prisoner of war. Better to just say WP,whites or white people IMO , if that is what you meant
Mon May 14, 2018, 10:29 AM
May 2018

Blue_Adept

(6,384 posts)
30. There was a topic, somewhat satirical this weekend, about People of Whiteness
Mon May 14, 2018, 10:32 AM
May 2018

Last edited Mon May 14, 2018, 11:26 AM - Edit history (1)

Hence the POW element.

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
8. Police officers need training to think
Mon May 14, 2018, 08:49 AM
May 2018

and people need to think before calling the police:

"Would I call the police (or respond) if a white person or white people were doing the exact same thing?"

People cleaning up along the roadside are carrying garbage bags and usually have to wear reflective vests. They're wearing huge gloves and carrying things to pick up trash while standing. It isn't difficult to figure out what they're doing.

Even if they weren't officially signed up for the adopt-a-highway program, is it a crime to choose to clean up along the street?

Girard442

(6,059 posts)
9. I know that this is only a fantasy, but...
Mon May 14, 2018, 08:57 AM
May 2018

...what if the responding officer scoped out the sorority women, saw that they were clearly there picking up trash, thanked them for their service, cautioned them about staying safe while working near a busy road, and offered them a phone number to call if they needed assistance in any way?



tavernier

(12,322 posts)
19. My husband was a cop.
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:25 AM
May 2018

He did a lot of nice things for a lot of people when he was alive.

It isn’t just a fantasy. But none of these things ever made the news.

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
21. No, it doesn't make the news when police officers do their job properly
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:48 AM
May 2018

It also doesn't make the news when people don't do other bad things.

I know a few police officers whom I believe are good, kind people. I don't think police officers are any more or less racist than any other group of people in the US, but 1) that leaves room for racism, and 2) there is also racism built into the criminal justice system.

BumRushDaShow

(127,300 posts)
10. Here is another
Mon May 14, 2018, 08:58 AM
May 2018

Madison discussed this one on his show this morning -

Texas Restaurant Under Fire For Kicking Out Black Couple To Seat A White Man

Britni Danielle May, 02, 2018



Johnny Wimbrey, an author and motivational speaker, and his wife were planning on enjoying a night out on the town, but their evening came to an abrupt end when they were kicked out of a Plano, TX restaurant. Wimbrey told WFAA that after being seated at table inside Sambuca 360 and placing an order, the manager asked if they would move to a different table he could seat another patron—a white man. "I said, 'No I think we want to sit here. We have a great view. It's only a table for two.' We declined the offer respectfully,” Wimbrey recalled. That’s when things got contentious.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiMwNQyHwPX/?utm_source=ig_embed (video at this link)

According to a video of the encounter, the manager told Wimbrey he had two options, switch seats or leave. “He immediately said what you saw in the video, ‘You are going to have to leave’. And I’m like why? ‘Because I don't like you,’ [he said]. I have to leave because you don't like me?” said Wimbrey.

When the well-known speaker decided he didn’t want to move to another table, the manager accused him of trespassing and threatened to call the police. “I tell you to leave right now or I will call the police,” the manager said. When Wimbrey asked why he was being thrown out, the manager told him, “You need to leave now. What you are doing wrong is trespassing.”

Because encounters between police and unarmed Black people can be deadly, Wimbrey and his wife decided to leave the restaurant before police arrived. "The Plano police show up. They jump out of the car and I thought what would happen if I didn't leave?” Wimbrey sad. Sadly, Wimbrey’s story sounds familiar. In April alone, Black people have been accused of trespassing and arrested for patronizing establishments like Starbucks and Waffle House. Wimbrey, who believes race was a factor in how he was treated, could have met a similar fate had he not decided to walk away.

https://www.essence.com/news/texas-restaurant-under-fire-kicking-out-black-couple-seat-white-man

salin

(48,954 posts)
17. Why does it matter?
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:16 AM
May 2018

Have you never made a post, and later reconsidered? I have.

Now add a new scenario: Imagine that in the frustration after the experience posting about it. And then the story picks up and goes viral.

When that happens it also goes viral in the social media corners were dis-creditors/disbelievers/disparagers work themselves up into tizzies and feed on any information that they can learn about those doing the posting per righteous harassment. Think - of the folks within hours of the Parkland students' speaking out - of the doxxing occurring and asserting that these were crisis actors and it was all a hoax - which just ramped up from there.

Which is why I ask you, why this question. How does it affect how one reads the story?

salin

(48,954 posts)
14. I hope you don't mind if I add a link
Mon May 14, 2018, 09:10 AM
May 2018

to the last Digest issue (#1) - and if I - or others do the same in future Digest issues. I think having these all compiled together is powerful in demonstrating how frequently occurring this bs behavior by some white people actually is. How horrifying/harrowing/frightening/enraging it must be to be on the receiving end of these calls - when the police arrive assuming the worst due to the call - for just being and doing 'just being' things - but just existing as a Person of Color in the US in 2018.



https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=10609305

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
28. Vote Republican or don't vote to support. Democrat to oppose.
Mon May 14, 2018, 10:27 AM
May 2018

That's the bottom line. This really is a black and white decision in this era.

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