I am able to say beyond any reasonable doubt that racism, and profiling by the police does happen. I can say that with such assurance because when my son was best friends with a young man who was half Hispanic, and half African American, I became aware of those two things on a very profound level.
I actually had to step in at one point and go into Bitch Mode with the police because of how they kept pulling my son over, then demanding to see his friend's ID. They were always very nice to my son Chris, but would insist his friend get out the car, and show his ID. Which since W.J. was the ONLY young black man in the town at the time, the star of their football team, with his picture in the paper every week, and always with my son in the same car, registered to me, seemed more than a little unreasonable to me. And please understand I use the world black very deliberately there to signify that colorwise, his skin was black. I also had the KKK send me a message telling me if I didn't stop my son hanging around with W.J. they were going to pay us a visit some night. My reply, "Ya'll come see me. Those damn white hoods will make great targets on a dark night."
After paying a visit to the local police station and Chamber of Commerce, reading them a riot act that included snidely suggesting the police cut out one of those photos of W.J. that was in the paper EVERY week and taping it to their visor, then explaining if this shit didn't stop, I would be writing a expose that would insure the tourist that helped support their economy knew just how racist their town was, that shit did stop. Not too long after that a prison was built there and suddenly they had to get used to seeing a lot more black faces and bodies in their town. One day I was visiting with the attorney I once worked and a young black man came into the office for some legal advice. After introducing himself, and chatting with the attorney, while I still sat there, he mentioned he had never been treated as well as he had by the police in this town. The attorney started laughing, then pointed at me and said, "Then you better fall on your knees and kiss the toes of BB here because she is why they do treat you so well now." He then went on to explain to the now completely shocked young man what had happened, and the part I played in it.
So yes, white privilege and racism still exists in America. But, if you speak out when you see it and experience it, you CAN make a difference.
