George Floyd: Nigerians share experiences on why black Africans dey fear white police for America
Nigerian Taiwo Dawodu wey migrate go US for early 2000s tok about di five tins wey im go first do if white police officer flash am to stop for road.
'Magaret' worry say as she dey work for one large supermarket for US, make she dey careful not to show her face for sensitive tori "One, I go tell myself say I must show respect; two, I go turn all my light on; three, I go put my drivers license ontop dashboard; four, I go come put my two hands ontop steering wheel... because all I dey tink about na how to reach house to meet my wife and pikin," tok Dawodu. Di fear wey Dawodu dey tok about na from reports of how police for America dey over-ginger to arrest and sometimes kill black pipo for road. But dis na wia discrimination enta am: "white pipo wey police stop fit do anyhow dem like, because assurance cover dem say officers no fit wunjure or kill dem." Im add. And na di fight wey don occupy America, afta di death of George Floyd, di black man wey one white policeman kill for road. Di fight against racial discrimination - wen pesin look and treat anoda pesin less-less because of di colour of im skin. E no even mata if di African na successful pesin. Former Manchester City player Nedum Onuoha wey dey play ball for US now, tell BBC say: "If police read me di wrong way then my life fit end." Police wan free white woman wey bash me Nigerian student Ogechi bin dey drive for Maryland, United States wen di next tin she hear na gbam! Pesin jam her moto from back. Di woman wey bin jam her na white but Ogechi no tink anytin to am because witness dey di area wey see wetin happun. But wen di policeman wey be white reach, e no even look Ogechi face, e go begin follow di white woman gist. Wen di officer finally follow am tok, e order am to comot her moto for road and go her way. Oge say she bin dey study for honours Biology class for 2002 when di mata happun "No be say you suppose take foto, to use prove say di woman bash me?" Ogechi para give di officer. Na then she realise say di officer wan use sense free di white woman. So, Ogechi carry di mata go court. Afta di lie-lie wey di white woman wan use change di mata for court, judge finally rule say di white woman dey at fault and she must pay. Di victory shock Ogechi hersef because many Africans no believe say dem fit get justice against white pesin for America. Wen white policeman stop me Anoda resident of Chicago, Margaret Eddy (no be her real name), wey be black woman tell BBC tori of one time wey white policeman stop her for road. "True-true, I bin dey do 68 for 45mph road. I just finish long shift for supermarket wia I dey work and I don tire well-well," tok Margaret. Wen di policeman ask her for licence, Margaret say she don already carry two hands put for steering wheel. She begin use gentle voice, "Officer, I go use slow motion comot my right hand from di wheel now, I go come stretch am go back seat wia my bag dey so as to comot my wallet, as na dia my license dey" Na so di officer bust laff, say di mata no reach like that. But as black African woman, Margaret know say 'prevention beta pass cure'. Racial discrimination Di fact be say black Americans dey more likely to go prison or collect police gunshot for body, pass white pipo, study don show. Even though law dey for US against racial discrimination (even from police), many black pipo say e still dey happun koro-koro. Dawodu say "di tin don dey tey tey, na only because camera phones boku now, na im make di tin comot". Di law say police no fit "discriminate sake of pesin national origin, race, colour, religion, or sex." African Americans form small of di US population - but na dem dey see arrests, deaths wey relate to arrests, and death row prisoners, pass for di whole country. But discrimination from police no be di only type wey Africans dey face for di "land of free". Nigerian women no dey wear cloth cover chest For Zimbabwe, e dey normal for Ndebele village woman wey never marry to open chest Seven years before di 'bashing' mata, Ogechi bin dey collect lecture for university wen di professor point to am to say "for di country wia she come from, women no dey wear cloth cover chest" "I almost faint," tok Ogechi Nwaogu, wey now be PhD holder. But because her white professor na like god for pipo eye, she no tok anything but say di tin pain am. Di mata suppose make pesin wonder whether di professor go embarrass Ogechi like that if to say her skin dey white like im own?