African American
Related: About this forumHow do you feel about this cartoon?
[font size=9]The Talk[/font]
http://www.upworthy.com/the-harsh-reality-of-being-a-black-child-in-america-told-in-a-10-part-comic?c=ufb1
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)Maybe even the home of all non whites.
Towlie
(5,308 posts)Whenever you deal with a cop, it's important to keep in mind that you're dealing with the sort of person who WANTS to be a cop.
Faux pas
(14,585 posts)heavy to know that any child has to grow up with this truth and all the fear that goes with it.
lunamagica
(9,967 posts)Makes me sad and furios at the same time..
BlueMTexpat
(15,349 posts)That this is happening in America in the 21st century grieves me more than I can express.
heartbreaking and a national disgrace. No child should go through this. No adult should go through this.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)world. But none the less necessary.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)I never had that talk with my son, only "obey the law" kind of thing.
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)it's a matter of life or death for us & very real especially here in SC.
sheshe2
(83,355 posts)That it is even necessary, yet it is.
alittlelark
(18,886 posts)maybe 10 years ago - about how to behave around police officers. It was almost identical to this one.
It was disturbing.....
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)Especially since the next-to-last panel is too often not the way it happens.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)... that America's treatment of AA's has been so despicable that someone felt they needed to draw such a cartoon.
I'm glad they did, sorry that it is necessary.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)brer cat
(24,402 posts)Terribly sad that it has to be said.
ejbr
(5,852 posts)don't expect to grow up to become a cop, a Harvard professor, or an A-list entertainer to avoid this nightmare.
Rebkeh
(2,450 posts)Bobbie Jo
(14,341 posts)No words...
demigoddess
(6,640 posts)I saw many AA military cops (MPs) over my life. Every single one was an honorable man or woman. And I never had to feel unsafe around them.
Running around base as a child we'd create mischief and run/hide from the AP's but it never crossed our minds that we should be afraid of them.
Omaha Steve
(99,077 posts)They shut down ALL under and overpasses on the I-80. Twice during his trip you could not go east-west in a large part of Omaha. I I approached an underpass an omaha patrolman I didn't know raised his hand for me to stop. I pulled my car over to the curb. I'm a retired uniformed civilian from the Omaha Police Dept. As he approached the car I decided to raise both my hands so they were in plain site. I surprised him a little. After confirming my ID, we had a good conversation that passed the time until the streets were open again. Yes every parent should have this talk.
Yes I watched the POTUS motorcade go by. Much better than when my family went to protest Raygun.
K&R!
OS
pansypoo53219
(20,908 posts)AND point out how it is NOT christian at all.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,833 posts)What is even sadder is too many, mostly white, think this is a "new" phenomena. It isn't. Sure, we all know about "Jim Crow" and some of the effects after, but what many don't realize is this, the cartoon, has never stopped in this country! NEVER! When I was in middle school, my best friend was African-American. We lived on a military base, so we were surrounded by all types of people. He and I were very good friends, and our parents' 'loved' the other child more; meaning, I could do no wrong in his house, and why couldn't my friend be more like me, and I got the same treatment from my parents. LOL!
One day his family invited me to the movies, I was 12, yeah, I think so, before my Bar Mitzvah, so around that age...so, 1980-1, abouts. It was me, him, his younger sister, with whom I shared a birthday, day not year, and his parents, both of whom had Master's degrees. As we were driving through town, a police car was pulling upside the car. Now, in those days, we used to wave at police officers when they drove by us. My friend's father, without turning around, said; "BTA, do not wave at the officer, but you can smile, then go back to talking to my son." I did as instructed, after all, I was taught to respect my elders. The cop car followed us almost all the way to the movies. When I got home, I asked my mother about the situation. She explained a white child in car driven by a black man could be seen in a bad way. Which I still couldn't understand because my friend was in our car all the time, so why wasn't that a problem?! That is when I got one of the first full-on lectures about racism and how black people and other ethnic minorities were treated very differently in the US. When I spoke to my friend about it, he told me about the talks his dad had with him about how he, my friend, was to talk to the police, the MPs (Military Police), even teachers. It wasn't even remotely like my speech from my parents which simply consisted of "Be polite."
So, what I see in that comic is something I remember from my childhood and really encountering and starting to understand institutional racism, though I didn't know that was what it was called. Personally, I am glad more and more people are becoming aware of this issue, but this has been going on since the birth of our country. These talks have never not been a part of the AA experience in the US with regards to young AA children, especially young black men. This is the side of racism, which IMO, is the face many, many white people simply "don't get it" because they don't see it!
brer cat
(24,402 posts)Last edited Thu Mar 31, 2016, 02:00 PM - Edit history (1)
Every time there is a discussion like this, white people (generally men) are going to chime in about how they were stopped or their parents had the same conversation with them. IT IS NOT THE SAME THING. Diminishing institutional racism denies the need for correction, for the structural and cultural changes that must occur if we are going to achieve equality, even "fair" treatment for people of color.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)my father has had that talk with me plenty of times over the years, especially during all the high profile killings of young unarmed Black males. He gave me exactly the same tips such as always saying "yes/no, sir", and that the less I say to them (if I ever get stopped by an officer), the better. I know that most officers are decent people and aren't like that, but I can't help but be alarmed at the rates of these incidents and the disproportionate number of us being stopped and locked up compared to other demographics.
randr
(12,408 posts)KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Until law enforcement changes.
MyOwnPeace
(16,888 posts)but I'm not laughing............
So sad that it has become a necessary life-lesson for some.
MynameisBlarney
(2,979 posts)They will make up reasons to justify violating the civil rights of PoC.
kimbutgar
(20,882 posts)And asking the police for help and one Hispanic boy 6 years old blurted out that " cops are bad and " they only want to put you in jail". I was speechless at first then told him cops are here to protect and serve us" he kept saying "cops are bad". Finally I said " not all cops are bad". Another Black child who is verbal also agreed with him and said" you have to be careful around cops or they will shoot you". Later I thought about their statement and put myself in his shoes. Yes in their community cops would be perceived as bad. Sad. I was taught to respect cops and they would protect you. I used to love watching Adam 12 on tv as a kid. It seems those kind cops are a dying breed because of the wet they are trained nowadays. Anyone of color is perceived as a criminal in waiting.
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)rules for people of color than those perceived as white.
I was also raised to respect and trust the police. There were policemen in my family. Then the riots of the 60's, the brutality of our soldiers in Viet Nam and other atrocities that were well covered by the media gave me a new set of "eyes". Then and today, there are many people who are not blind but can not see. This all my opinion, of course.
Thank you for working with those who have special needs.
kimbutgar
(20,882 posts)I have been in situations where I have seen darker skinned black people harassed and the police have asked if I was ok. my cousins are multi racial one of my cousins has two boys one can pass and the other couldn't she has told me she gets scared for the darker one, while the lighter one will get a pass. So I get it. My son looks white he will never get harassed, I don't have to give him the talk. He is autistic and is treated differently than one of his group home residents. He came home one day in middle school and said the n word. I asked him if he knew what it was he said it was for people with dark skin. I still have to remind him that people would consider him the n word in parts of America if they knew what he was. It is so complicated.
tblue37
(64,982 posts)more people who are not black are finally beginning to comprehend this reality, thanks to the ubiquity of cellphones, the fact is that for PoC, especially black people, none of this is new. Until now, many (probably most) white people enjoyed the privilege--yes, privilege[/i, one of many aspects of the much maligned concept of white privilege]--of not having to be aware of how LEOs treat PoC, despite their age, their innocence, or even their total compliance. For those who preferred not to trouble their "beautiful minds" with such unpleasant thoughts, the fact that neither they themselves nor their loved ones had ever experienced or directly witnessed such oppression enabled them to simply refuse to believe it. They could dismiss complaints as exaggeration or deception, or as a version of "playing the race card."
OTOH, many well-intentioned white people were ignorant but not maliciously so, and the countless video evidence has awakened them and led them to become more active in efforts to reform law enforcement. It is also true, though, that every time such a video is released, those who really are vicious racists out themselves in their comments. It is amazing to see how easily they simply deny incontrovertible evidence.
Videos of police abusing and killing PoC are having an effect similar to the effect film shown on TV news broadcasts of police abusing peaceful black civil rights marchers in the South, including children and the elderly, had on people in other parts of the country.
malthaussen
(17,066 posts)Keeping your head down and saying "yassah, massa" is not a guarantee that they still won't beat you, shoot you, or string you up from the nearest tree. I understand the need for even marginal empowerment, but I believe that it's really a total crap shoot, and there is an increasing chance that the police will ruin your day or your life if they feel like it, and that the chance increases astronomically if one happens to be not-white.
-- Mal
Bubzer
(4,211 posts)AllyCat
(16,039 posts)My friend has had to have this "talk" with her son. It is not fair. It is not okay. Kids should be able to look to the police for help. ALL kids.
CoffeeCat
(24,411 posts)Last edited Thu Mar 31, 2016, 11:46 AM - Edit history (2)
It's sad for anyone who has to deal with this reality--because the police are supposed to protect us. What happens when the line between the good guys and the bad guys--is not there for some, in many communities?
I think it's a very traumatic situation for many.
I can't imagine being a parent and wondering if your child will be killed or injured by the police--because there are bigots on some police forces who are also sociopaths. I've seen interviews where this is exactly the case. Parents worry when their child/teenager leaves the house, because of this specific corruption and bigotry by the police.
It's grossly unfair and it is gut wrenching to know that this is real.
valerief
(53,235 posts)Ernesto
(5,077 posts)that has given the same advice to my white sons.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)to every young black person, especially males around the age of Tamir Rice. Very important and timely cartoon.
yuiyoshida
(41,765 posts)from my parents. They also told me how the Military rounded Japanese up, here in San Francisco and sent them to internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I didn't learn about that in High School, it was never taught but I read about it in the Library on my own after my parents mentioned it. This was before the internet was available.
sarge43
(28,939 posts)LittleGirl
(8,261 posts)and for that, I wished I could change it. I grew up in a poor neighborhood so I know all about racial divides. It made me a better person, I hope.
libodem
(19,288 posts)Response to ZombieHorde (Original post)
imari362 This message was self-deleted by its author.
WHEN CRABS ROAR
(3,813 posts)but being civil to one another is usually the best way to behave, it's that vinegar or honey thing.
Having said that, when I grew up (I'm 74), we feared the cops, they stopped us at every chance and they weren't very polite. When I became more enlightened, grew my hair long, marched for civil rights and anti-war causes, they got progressively nastier and always had their hand on a billy club.
This country is racist and I shed tears for all of us, because we are all victims.
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)They only protect and serve the corporate masters, who must be overthrown if all people are to be treated equally.
To me, it makes me want to start a revolt against the establishment.
I am not even a person of color, but back when I was younger, with my long hair and such, I was also a target of the police. It just came out a couple of days ago that Nixon's war on drugs was designed to round up people of color, and folks who were likely to be against the establishment. Though I don't totally know what this is like, I do have a small idea of what it is like, and it sucks.
It's pretty awful that kids have to believe the myth that police will protect them, when they will do no such thing, and actually kill them given the chance.
It sucks I tell you, and is reason to start a revolution!
jtuck004
(15,882 posts) Respectability Politics Wont Save Us: On the Death of Jonathan Ferrell
You can do everything right in America, but if youre black, racism will always pose a threat to your life.
By Mychal Denzel Smith
When they went on the air this weekend, CNN anchor Don Lemon and comedy legend Bill Cosby, known not only for their day jobs but also for their unrelenting critiques of black culture, may not have been aware of the killing of Jonathan Ferrell. The 24 year-old former football player at Florida A&M University was shot and killed by Officer Randall Kerrick of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police in Charlotte, North Carolina, this past Saturday. Ferrell had been a car crash and then ran to the nearest house to find help. The woman inside answered the door, believing it to be her husband on the other side. When she realized it wasnt, she immediately closed the door, hit her panic alarm and callled 911. She reported a man attempting to break into her home. When the police arrived, Ferrell approached them, presumably still trying to get help, at which point one of the officers fired his stun gun, which was unsuccessful. Thats when Kerrick fired his weapon, hitting Ferrell multiple times, and killed him.
...
http://www.thenation.com/article/respectability-politics-wont-save-us-death-jonathan-ferrell/
RIP
Response to ZombieHorde (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)Unfortunately, that doesn't always work when black people get targeted as suspects in something they didn't do. If I were an African American, I'd be much more nervous about an encounter with police.
Admittedly, part of the issue is that many African Americans fit a broad general description: black curly hair, brown eyes, and facial features typical of their racial makeup. If a suspect happens to be wearing the same color shirt, they often get a positive ID by a victim as the criminal. From there, it goes straight to a public defender who takes a plea bargain to avoid a lengthy sentence. It's very sad really that the best one can do is take the advice in the cartoon and hope for the best. Running or resisting is futile and dangerous.
NOLALady
(4,003 posts)My brother had a "friend" who stole his ID and committed some crimes. The friend was short, thick, dark skinned, black curly hair. The suspect was caught with my brother's ID. Yet, my brother was arrested and had to prove that his ID was stolen and he did not commit the crimes. My brother is 6'2', thin as a rail, light skinned, reddish brown hair.
RKP5637
(67,032 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)and my Dad (R.I.P.) was a cop!
steve2470
(37,457 posts)your dad was a cop ? I bet you have special insights into the whole "poor policing" discussion.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)And in the 30+ years he was on the force, no more than 20 cops ever entered our home (and IIRC, only one of them was white).
steve2470
(37,457 posts)Did he feel that the overwhelming majority of non-PoC officers were racist ? If this is too nosy, my apologies.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)frequently commented that PoC Officers perpetuated the racism by believing the "Team of Blue" and going along to get along ... much like overseers in the antebellum south.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)From what I've read, the pressure to be quiet when you're a police officer is very intense. It takes a very brave and strong man or woman who forces an issue about racism and/or illegality. My understanding is if you say anything, your career as an officer is pretty much over via the whisper campaign.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)not going along or pressing issues of racism and/or illegality, can mean your life can be over.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)Which effective cartoons tend to do.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)That's how it made me feel. I do not like that AA people have to live in another reality.