We are moving to Rochester in a few months and I think I am pretty well preped. But I had a little panic moment yesterday.
I live in a very white neighborhood in a very diverse city and yesterday and I saw a likley case of WWB (walking while black) on my way home yesterday. A nicely dressed young black man with a clip board was being harrassed by the cops. It happens a lot in my neighborhood. In defence of my neighbors calling the police on every minority that knocks on their door, there has been a rash of serious violent robberies, muggings, etc. It doesn't makeit right, people have gotten very paranoid.
So it got me thinking...my children are hispanic (hubby and I are white) and suddenly I got the visiual of my son walking through his friends neighborhood in 5 or 6 years and being cuffed and searched on the basis of his skin color.
I know hispanic people are about 5% there. What are the likelihood they will run into racism there? Trouble with cops (while doing nothing)?
Maybe I am looking for something else to be worried about.
Because he was black and being harassed it drew your attention? If anything after the recent ferguson events cops will be avoiding any sort of profiling. Cops are taught to enforce the law so it's likely the person was actually breaking the law.
Well I can't help but notice 95% of the people in my neighborhood who are being detained by cops are black...and you cant help but notice it at all when you see it. It is unlikely he was doing anything illegal. They almost always let them go. A scared old lady calls the cops, they come out and detain, ask them questions and let them go. Its the same old story.
How do you figure it was unlikely he was doing something illegal? They are not just going to arrest some passerby who so happens to be black. There are reasons to why they question who they question.