Racial profiling of Tyler Perry

Another recent glaring incident of racial profiling. This time it was with Tyler Perry had his angels not been watching out for him, we would be reading about another shameful tragedy. To think about what could have happened is scary. To realize that this is happening approximately 20 or more times per hour Every hour, Everyday all around the country is more frighting. Why just for being born the wrong skin color.


 A few days before President Obama was supposed to speak at my studio, I was leaving the studio, headed to the airport. Most times when I leave the studio I have an unmarked escort. Other times I constantly check in my rear-view mirror to be sure that I'm not being followed. It’s a safety precaution that my security team taught me. As I got to an intersection, I made a left turn from the right lane and was pulled over by two police officers. I pulled the car over and put it in park. Then, I let the window down and sat in the car waiting for the officer. The officer came up to the driver’s door and said that I made an illegal turn. I said, "I signaled to get into the turning lane, then made the turn because I have to be sure I’m not being followed." He said, “why do you think someone would be following you?”


Before I could answer him, I heard a hard banging coming from the passenger window. I had never been in this position before so I asked the officer who was at my window what was going on and why is someone banging on the window like that. He said, “let your window down, let your window down. Your windows are tinted.” As I let down the passenger window, there was another officer standing on the passenger side of the car. He said, “what is wrong with you?” The other officer said to him, “he thinks he’s being followed.” Then, the second officer said, “why do you think someone is following you? What is wrong with you?”


Before I could answer the officer on the passenger side, the one on the driver's side had reached into the car and started pulling on the switch that turns the car on and off, saying, “put your foot on the brake, put your foot on the brake!” I was so confused as to what he was doing, or what he thought he was doing. It looked like he was trying to pull the switch out of the dashboard. I finally realized that he thought that switch was the key, so I told him that it wasn’t the key he was grabbing. I reached down into the cup holder to get the key, not realizing that the key had a black leather strap on it. As I grabbed it they both tensed up and I dropped it as I heard my mother’s voice from when I was a little boy.


My mother would always say to me, “if you get stopped by the police, especially if they are white policemen, you say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’, and if they want to take you in, you go with them. Don’t resist, you hear me? Don’t make any quick moves, don’t run, you just go.” My mother was born in 1945 into a segregated hotbed town in rural Louisiana. She had known of many colored men at the time who were lynched and never heard from again. Since I was her only son for ten years, growing up she was so worried about me. It wasn’t until after I heard her voice that I realized that both of these officers were white.


The officer on the driver's side continued to badger me, “why do you think someone is following you?” I then said, .....Continue Reading

Clothes Break the Man

Last week, Geraldo Rivera got into it with his comments on the Trayvon Martin killing. His exact words were, "I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was. I am urging the parents of Black and Latino youngsters, particularly, to not let their children go out wearing hoodies." Facing a backlash, Rivera walked back his comments a little bit earlier this week and offered an apology of sorts.


I remember when it was us that were afraid of men wearing hoods. Now, for many Americans, it's the hooded black man who is the symbol of terror. There are plenty of Americans who would probably agree with Rivera's sentiment. For them, the black teen in the hoodie is something to be concerned about and someone to fear. Our nation is so screwed up on racial issues that I am tempted to meet the profilers halfway: you get to be afraid of us, but we get to avoid being shot. Even that would be an improvement. Look how far we've come, America: Our children aren't being judged simply by the color of their skin, but by the content of their clothing.


What Rivera said was insidious -- but like most insidious comments, there is an element of truth to them. I've told my son not to wear certain outfits lest he be perceived the wrong way. I've grown up watching kids being killed over their Jordans, leather coats, jewelry or even if they were simply wearing the wrong color. When I transferred to Locke High School, I showed up wearing red because I assumed they were Bloods like in my neighborhood. Well, they weren't. Those Crips chased me down after school and kicked my ass, black and blue.


So maybe instead of having the police, we need to have the fashion police. They can roam the streets and let urban youth know if their get-ups are spooking the people. You have the right to remain fabulous, but anything you wear can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.


Sounds ridiculous? But in many ways, this absurd reasoning is being touted as a solution to racial conflict. France famously banned the burqa, and now there is no conflict between native Frenchpeople and Muslim immigrants. Except for the fact that neofascist Marine le Pen is third in the polls, and except for the fact that Mohamed Merah went on a murderous shooting spree. But other than that, French/minority relations have never been better, right? Closer to home, it is easier for a black man to end up in jail than in college. The conservative solution? School uniforms. It's the clothes, stupid? Really?


To be perfectly honest, I wish changing mindsets were as simple as changing outfits. What a small price that would be to pay if we could eliminate animus and hatred in America. But it's not that easy, of course. If you're so predisposed, any article of clothing can be evidence of evil. When a white man wears a suit and bow tie, he's a hipster. But when Nation of Islam members wear a suit and bow tie -- the very symbol of dorkiness -- they're ominous and dangerous. It's not simply a matter of disagreeing violently with their views. Most Americans don't agree with Michael Moore, but they're not afraid of him.


Styles come and go. Hoodies, like everything else, will eventually be out of fashion. But every season, racial intolerance seems to be the new black. Coco Chanel, who brought us the little black dress, advised people to take one thing off before leaving the house. If that thing were hatred, then surely we'd all the better for it.



Written by D.L. Hughley
original credits http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dl-hugley/trayvon-martin-geraldo_b_1389832.html
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Howard University Trayvon Martin "Am I Suspicious?" Campaign Video

A must see
This video was put together in response to the killing Of Trayvon Martin & the national epidemic of racial profiling of people of color all colors not just African Americans


Howard University Trayvon Martin "Am I Suspicious?" Campaign Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH5bB8HUWFs