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How To See White Privilege

A Primer For White People to See The Other America

David Koff
49 min readJun 26, 2020
The Two Americas. Mashup of Maatla-Seetelo and Ryan Holloway from Unsplash

Introduction: Writing A New American Chapter

The recent and very brutal deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor in The United States are — sadly — only the latest chapter in a brutal and embarrassing story about race and privilege in this country that is over 400 years old.

I wanted to contribute something to our national conversation that might help — even in some small way — to write a new and more just chapter in our ongoing story. As a white, Jewish American, what made the most sense to contribute was my own personal journey, the journey of how I came to recognize my white privilege.

I’ll be honest: I’d rather NOT share that journey. It’s embarrassing because it makes me look stupid and maybe even mean. You might read what I’ve said and done and think that I’ve been a racist. And you know what? You’d be right:

I have been a racist.

I’m a member of a family with a history of both subtle and overt racism. And I’m a citizen of a country whose initial wealth was built on the backs of slaves. In short, I was trained to think, talk, joke, and live as a racist. This isn’t a story of my past, either. While I’m better today than I was in 2017 when I began this journey, I might still be considered racist by others regarding how I act, think, and speak. I’m still learning. I’m still listening. And I still have a long way to go.

That’s the truth.

What’s important now is that I own my past racist beliefs, behaviors, and words, and mistakes. What’s important now is that I continue to learn and listen. Learning and listening will help me continue to be a better human, a better American, and a better anti-racist to help my black friends.

I think the same is true for every white person.

With that in mind, here’s my plan:

  1. I’ll share the confrontation that began the journey to my seeing my white privilege.
  2. I’ll help define what white privilege is since it may be a confusing term for some of you.
  3. I’ll explain how technology plays a vital role in seeing how common and widespread racism is.
  4. Using evidence collected from technology, I’ll provide a comprehensive list to help show white people just how privileged they are.
  5. I’ll provide a few national statistics to paint a larger picture.
  6. Lastly, I’ll provide a list of books, articles, and videos that have been helpful for me in learning about how racism is part of our cultural DNA in America and, therefore, are now systemic in our financial, political, educational, and justice systems.

I hope — by sharing my own story — that perhaps other white Americans might begin seeking, finding, and understanding their privilege. Once that happens, we can and should use our privilege to help dismantle any forms or systems of racism in our neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries.

Part I: The Confrontation That Started My Journey

Most of my 25 years on stage as an actor, improviser, and theater producer have been spent in the diverse city of Los Angeles. There — without trying — I got to work with people who didn’t look, love, or believe like me. That luxury was so commonplace, that I took it for granted.

Then, I moved to Portland, Oregon.

Portland is known as the whitest big city in America, with a population that’s 72.2% white and 6.3% black. I’m guessing that’s because the State of Oregon and the city of Portland both have a shameful, racist history. How shameful? Think public KKK rallies, banning black people from being in the state, or being one of the last states to ratify the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, granting all blacks the right to vote. Oregon didn’t ratify the 15th Amendment until 1959, 90 years after the Amendment was proposed.

A Klan March in Ashland, Oregon. Photo, from the Oregon Historical Society and this Atlantic article.

Not surprisingly, when I entered the theater community in Portland, there were far fewer people of color (POC) on stage with me than at any time in my career.

It was 2017, Donald Trump had become President, and — after a few years of playing at various theaters around the city — I was invited to join the cast at one of the city’s longest-running improv theaters. Not long after, the Artistic Director asked me if I’d be willing to produce and direct a show, something I’d done quite a bit in Los Angeles. I was given full-reign to shape the show as I saw fit with only one caveat: casting needed to begin with our mainstage ensemble before I invited others from outside the theater.

Given the national conversation at that time around our new President, I decided to confront the issue head-on with a fully improvised show based on political and pop-culture suggestions from the audience. I reached out to every member of our not-very-diverse ensemble to see who was available for rehearsals and performances.

“A show about politics?!? At a time like this?!? With an all-white cast?!?” he said, growing louder and angrier, “That’s bullshit!”

About six people were interested and available. Unfortunately, none were POC. I reached out to others in the community but found that no other POC were available. I produced the show with the cast that was available, held rehearsals, and staged performances. The performances were sometimes poignant, political, often brutally savage of the current administration, and, generally, well-received. It felt like a good start.

Then we had a company meeting.

During that meeting, a newer POC in our cast wanted to discuss the topic of diversity. He was upset about the unfair POC representation on our stage. Shockingly, he pointed to my show as an example:

“A show about politics at a time like this?!? With an all-white cast?!?” he said, growing louder and angrier, “That’s bullshit!”

The room went silent.

I felt singled out and punished. I’d invited every member of our cast — including the POC — to be in my show. Some of those very people were seated in the room with me now and remained silent. I felt unsupported. Why didn’t any of them speak up to share that I’d actually reached out to them and invited their participation?

Seconds passed, all in silence.

I turned to the Artistic Director, also white. She said nothing. People were looking at me now. I wanted to share that there were POC in the room who I’d invited, but I didn’t want to speak for them. That felt wrong. I felt judged but speaking from that place also felt wrong. Instead, I took a breath, considered my next words, and then simply acknowledged the young man’s emotions so he’d know that I’d heard them.

“I can see that you’re very angry about this,” I said. Wrong move.

It was like pouring gasoline on a lit fire. The young man got angrier and tensions in the room rose. A black improviser and longtime member of the company who was closer to my age, chimed in as the voice of reason.

“Let’s not get defensive here,” he said, which surprised me as I didn’t think I was feeling defensive at all. I was feeling judged and unsupported. He tried to find a way through the quicksand of hurt feelings, artistic priorities, and business realities of running a theater as a business to address the issue.

I honestly don’t remember if his approach worked because my head was ringing and my face felt flushed. I do remember that — at some point — the Artistic Director asked the young man if what he’d wanted to be in my show. “No,” he said. “What I want is for us to have POC on our stage. This is a show about politics and we had no POC on stage.”

After fumbling about for what seemed an eternity, we ended our company meeting. It was an uncomfortable experience for me. I had to sit with my embarrassment, anger, my feelings of being judged and singled out, and — if I’m entirely honest — defensiveness. The black improviser who’d chimed in to help guide our conversation had been, actually, correct: I was feeling defensive. I wanted to defend my actions. I’d created a politically progressive show that skewered the most racist President of my lifetime and — despite my inviting the entire cast to join my show — we had no black, brown, or Asian improvisers on stage.

I didn’t want to be seen as a racist.

As everyone slowly filed out, I approached the young man who’d confronted me and let him know that I got him, that every POC in our company had been invited to join the show, and that I was open to hearing from him in the future if he ever wanted or needed to share his thoughts. He accepted my words but the exchange felt hollow. Now, years later, I finally know why.

I wish I could go back in time and tell him what I‘ve learned since: that he was 100% right. It really was bullshit that we had no people of color on stage for a political show and we really did have a super low POC representation on our stage. Further, although he didn’t bring it up, our theater wasn’t very inviting to POC and I needed to do more work to help make our performance space more welcome, more inviting, and to ensure that future shows and future cast members in our company featured POC on our stage.

That’s what I wish I’d said.

Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time. So, instead, I went home from the theater shocked, sad, and depressed. I was 48 years old and — for the first time in my life — I began to understand that this young man and I were living in two different realities and in two different Americas.

Part II: A Different Way to Explain White Privilege

White people: Part II is specifically for you.

Whether you know it or not, we’ve been living in a country that grants us an advantage because of the color of our white skin. Many people refer to this advantage as “white privilege”. That term may be confusing to some of you, especially if you’ve suffered from the negative effects of capitalism. It’s probably impossible to think of yourself as “privileged” when the jobs at the coal mines and factories have disappeared, your town and family have been ripped apart by opiate addiction, and you require welfare and food stamps to get by. You’re not alone.

All white Americans don’t come from wealth. We don’t all have similar educations and histories. Therefore, we need different ways of teaching all of us about how our white skin has provided us with a better life than our black counterparts.

Since terms like “white supremacy” and “white privilege” might confuse you or shut you down, it’s worth exploring other terms. Resmaa Menakem, a noted black scholar and author, uses the terms “white body supremacy” and “white advantage” instead. Menakem’s terms are great. I also like “The Other America” or “The Two Americas”. That’s because:

  1. They both suggest that another reality exists which is different from the one that us white people are living.
  2. Humans of all backgrounds understand how to compare themselves to others.
  3. The terms come from a POC, in this case, the always-poignant and deeply funny comedian, Roy Wood, Junior:
Roy says it far better than me…

Seeing and comparing our Two Americas is, I think, a good way to help more white Americans see and understand our privilege. Because we really do have a great deal of privilege when compared to our black brothers and sisters:

  • In white America — even if we’re poor and addicted to opiates — we’re free to jog through someone else’s neighborhood, buy items from or return items to a store, go to parks and restaurants, move into our new apartments, celebrate while graduating, BBQ with friends at a park, and go about our daily routine with little worry or concern.
  • By comparison, in black America, doing these very same activities can and do result in being harassed, followed, restrained, beaten, jailed, or killed.

We know this to be true because of the videos: the sickening, gut-wrenching videos.

Part III: How Technology Helped Me See My White Privilege

In my other life, I’m a technology writer here on Medium. I’ve worked in tech for over 25 years and, as a result, I follow that field with great passion. I’m really curious about two things:

  • How technology has changed our security and privacy
  • What we’ve learned about ourselves culturally as affordable and widely-used technology has become part of our everyday lives

Cell phone cameras, home security cameras, and body cameras are now everywhere. Social media is as well. As a result, we’re now capable of capturing and sharing police and citizen actions that are morally reprehensible, either with the entire neighborhood or with the entire world in mere seconds.

And my goodness: people are definitely sharing.

The graphic and alarming videos that people are recording or live-streaming — even during life-threatening situations — were, for me, instrumental in seeing The Other America that Roy Wood, Junior mentioned.

“Racism is not getting worse, it’s getting filmed.”

— Will Smith

The videos make it clear that black Americans are treated very differently by the police, by retail stores, by restaurants, and — worst of all — by other white citizens. Seeing the footage of how my fellow Americans were forced to live — and, sometimes, die — altered me. A switch got flipped.

Finally, the truth was laid bare: my privilege — granted to me simply by the color of my skin — was now visible to me. I saw black Americans who were doing largely ordinary things being suspected or punished as criminals, both by the police and by every-day, racist, white Americans. I finally got what the phrase “Black Lives Matter” actually meant: a call to affirm and remember that the lives of black people actually do matter, even though the systems that white people installed centuries ago continue to marginalize, punish, and kill them today.

I wanted to do something to help white Americans see The Other America. It was clear that seeing all the videos of my fellow, black citizens being arrested, beaten, or killed had worked to change my consciousness. Perhaps it might do the same for other white Americans.

An idea was born.

I decided to track, document, and then chronologically order the horrific and gruesome videos that I was seeing. It was the beginning of 2019. I went back and started documenting every racial arrest, confrontation, or murder I could find from 2018. It took the better part of a year. What follows is that list.

I know that I could go back further in time — or after, of course — to document additional stories of violent racism caught on camera, but I wanted to share each item’s full story. That meant providing a date, an explanation as to what happened, a link to a video, and the legal, financial, or political repercussions that resulted from the video going public. In some cases, I didn’t wait long enough: court cases are still winding their way through the court system almost two years later for a few of the cases you’re about to read.

And, hopefully, watch.

Please note: some of the videos I link to are extremely graphic and include footage of unarmed, black Americans being shot and killed. Some of the videos include displays of hatred including racist and homophobic slurs and insults. I encourage you to read, listen, and watch anyway. Not only is it important that we don’t turn our heads away from witnessing this ugliness, but it’s also vital that we share this Othe America with more and more white people in order to help educate one another on the poison of systemic racism in our midst.

What’s hopefully clear as you make your way through all of these stories and videos is that racism isn’t theoretical or debatable. It’s happening. Now.

Therefore, we are all responsible.

I am responsible.

Part IV: A List To Help White People See The Advantage or Privilege of Having White Skin

Here are some questions to consider as you read the following stories, watch the videos, and learn about your neighbors, friends, and fellow Americans:

  • Have you ever engaged in any of the everyday activities that you see described in these news stories?
  • If so, have the police been called to investigate you?
  • Have you ever been stopped by strangers, telling you that you do not belong in a public or private area where you actually belong?
  • Have people reacted to you, in fear, because you choose to wear an item of clothing?
  • If you’ve been stopped by the police, have they ever asked unrelated questions — regarding your motives, timetable, or reasoning — instead of explaining your infraction and either providing a warning or citation?
  • Have you ever been prevented from doing your job by strangers or the police?
  • Have you ever been stopped from entering your own house or apartment by strangers or the police?

If you answered “no” to most or all of these questions, then you live with a degree of freedom and privilege that black citizens in America do not have.

Now, I’ll prove it to you…

Things You Can’t Do While Being Black in America

  1. March 20th, 2018: Holding a cellphone while black. Police in Sacramento, Calif., shot and killed an unarmed Stephon Clark in his own backyard after mistaking his cellphone for a weapon. They shot at him 20 times. Video of the shooting and killing is here. Officers Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet, did not face criminal prosecution for their actions but the city of Sacramento paid the family $2.4 million as compensation for the loss.
  2. Mar 26th, 2018: Missing a stop sign while black. After rolling through a stop sign, Floyd Dent was pulled over by police. He was pulled from his car at gunpoint, placed in a chokehold, and punched 16 times in the head by Officer William Melendez. Another cop tried to handcuff him while a third officer tasered him three times. Video at the link above and here. Additional video has surfaced of Dent’s being mistreated once in jail. Officer Melendez was fired and charged with one count of mistreatment of a prisoner and one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm. He was found guilty and served 14 months in prison before being released.
  3. March 31st, 2018: Campaigning while black. Jason Wilson, a successful business owner in St. Louis, Missouri, was running to serve on the School Board in the town on Clayton. He ran because more than 37% of the students in Clayton Schools were POC, but only about 6% of the teachers were. Not once, but twice as he went door-to-door to meet constituents, the police were called to investigate. The first time, the cops warned him to stop “selling things in the neighborhood”. The second time the cops were called, Wilson captured video of the event and posted it to his Facebook page. Wilson won his election, becoming the first-ever black man to serve on the Board.
  4. April 2nd, 2018: Suffering from mental health problems while black. Danny Ray Thomas was wandering with his trousers around his ankles on a Houston street when he was shot dead by deputy Cameron Brewer, also black. Civilian shot video is here; Police dashcam video is here providing another angle that doesn’t show the actual shooting. The sheriff’s office fired Brewer after they found he failed to follow the department’s use-of-force policy. Charges were brought against former Deputy Brewer but he was found not guilty by a jury in August of 2019.
  5. April 12th, 2018: Waiting at a Starbucks while black. Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson walked into a Starbucks in downtown Philadelphia and asked to use the restroom before meeting a colleague. Because they had not bought anything, an employee refused the request. They were eventually asked to leave, and when they declined, an employee called 911 and requested police intervention. Audio from the 911 call and officers arriving can be heard here. The call was placed by Starbucks employee Holly Hylton who, it seems, is responsible for no less than nearly sixty 911 calls in 18 months to the Philadelphia Police. Video footage of the arrest is here. In response to the incident and the national outrage it sparked, Starbucks CEO Ken Johnson traveled to Philadelphia, met with both men, and personally apologized, calling their arrest “reprehensible”. Both the City of Philadelphia and Starbucks reached settlements with the men for what transpired. Six weeks following the incident, on May 28th, Starbucks shut down all 8,000+ store locations in North America so the company could conduct race-bias training to all of its 175,000 employees.
  6. April 5th, 2018: Driving while black. Diante Yarber was driving a family car with three other people a crowded Walmart parking lot. Barstow California police approached the vehicle due to reports of a stolen vehicle. Yarber decided to flee, hitting two police vehicles. Officers responded by firing 30 rounds into his vehicle, killing Yarber, and injuring two of the other passengers. The car had not been stolen and all other occupants were unarmed. Cellphone video of the shooting can be seen here. Officer Jimmie Alfred Walker was one of those charged in the murder. He’d been previously charged with a hate crime in 2010. Walker and the other three officers with him weren’t charged.
  7. April 12th, 2018: Asking for directions while black. Brennan Walker, 14, missed his bus to school and decided to ask for directions so he could begin walking there. He rang the doorbell at the home of Jeffrey Zeigler to inquire. Ziegler’s wife came to the door, thought it was a burglary attempt, and began screaming. Moments later, Ziegler came outside with his gun, took aim, and fired at Walker as he ran fleeing. Walker was unhurt. Ziegler’s now been charged with attempted murder thanks to his own home security camera footage which can be seen here. Zeigler was tried and sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison.
  8. April 20th, 2018: Working out while black. Tshyrad Oates and his guest — both black — arrived for a workout at an LA Fitness branch in Seacaucus, New Jersey. After beginning their workouts, they were asked to re-scan in to prove membership. When they refused, they were asked to leave, first by the gym’s staff and then by police who the staff had called. Video by Oates can be seen here. LA Fitness fired the manager and the two other employees involved in the incident.
  9. April 23rd, 2018: Golfing while black. A Pennsylvania golf club called police on five black members this weekend after the club’s co-owner and his son both felt that the group was “playing too slowly” and claimed that they did not leave the course when asked. The police came and then left. No charges were filed and the club made an apology to the women. The club then offered a second statement, walking back their apology. Video at the link above.
  10. April 25th, 2018: Debating a bill at Waffle House while black. After debating an item on her bill, Waffle House employees called the police on Chikesia Clemons. When cops arrived, they threw Clemons on the ground — exposing her breasts — and suggested they might “break” her arm after she didn’t cooperate. Video can be found at the link above. No officers were punished or disciplined for their actions. Clemons was found guilty of resisting arrest and sentenced to six months in jail. The judge suspended the need to serve time. She was fined $500 and placed on probation for one year. Clemons filed a civil rights lawsuit against Waffle House and you can follow its progress as it winds its way through the court system.
  11. April 29th, 2018: Barbecuing while black. Kenzie Smith and Onsayo Abram were BBQing at a lake in Oakland, California when a white woman — upset about their using a charcoal grill — called the cops and told the group they were going to jail. She waited two hours for the police to show up and was accused of using the N-word. Video of the altercation, recorded by the Smith’s wife, can be seen here. Smith was so bothered with the city’s flat response that he decided to run for the city council but lost the race. He was appointed to PRAC, the City of Oakland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission.
  12. May 4th, 2018: Leaving your engine running while black. While Craig Williams was shopping at a 7–11 in Sacramento, California, he left his car engine idling outside. When he returned to his car, officer Corey Johnson confronted him, shut off the ignition, and told him he was violating several laws including having loud music playing. When Williams asked questions and failed to comply with all requests, Johnson grabbed Williams’ arm, pushed him into the wall at the store, and then to the ground. Williams can be heard saying: “I give up, I give up,” while trying to position his arms so the officer could arrest him. Video can be seen at the link above. All criminal charges against Williams were dropped. In May of 2019, Williams brought a civil rights lawsuit against the Sacramento Police Department and Officer Johnson. In a conversation with Williams's attorney — Justin Ward — I learned that the case resolved in February 2020 with a financial settlement for Mr. Williams but no admission of guilt by the city or the Sacramento PD. No news article is available, due of the confidential nature of the settlement.
  13. May 5th, 2018: Performing a home inspection while black. Michael Hayes, a black real estate investor in Memphis, Tennessee was snapping photos of a property, after being given permission by the owner. Suspicious of Hayes, a Hispanic neighbor named Tiffany Albert called the police. The woman claimed she knew the owner and that the owner didn’t want anyone in his house. Hayes provided a written statement from the owner showing otherwise. Police called the owner and verified the story. When the neighbor still wouldn’t back down, the cops took Hayes's side, informing her that she’d go to jail if she continued harassing him. The woman responded for Hayes to hurry up and “get out of her neighborhood”. Albert claimed the video made her look racist even though she’s Hispanic and her boyfriend is black. Hayes’ cellphone video can be seen here.
  14. May 7th, 2018: AirBnB-ing while black. California police sent a helicopter and a squad of cars to detain a group of black filmmakers as they were leaving an Airbnb rental in Rialto, a Los Angeles suburb. The reason: a neighbor called 911 to report the group as possible burglars because — according to one of the filmmakers — they had failed to wave at her. Videos shot by the arrested can be seen here. Attorneys, for one of the women, Donisha Prendergast, discovered that the woman who made the 911 call has a social media timeline of racist, anti-Islamic, and anti-Gay posts. Predegrast — the granddaughter of reggae legend Bob Marley — plans to sue the Rialto PD for racial profiling.
  15. May 7th, 2018: Dancing at Graduation while black (or brown). Black Graduates of The University of Florida were pushed and shoved offstage for dancing at their graduation ceremony. The white usher, a faculty chemistry lecturer, appeared to target only black students who were marking their turn onstage with a celebratory dance or “stroll.” The University’s President personally apologized to those students who were harassed and suspended the faculty member. Video can be seen here.
  16. May 9th, 2018: Napping in the dorm’s common room while black. Lolade Siyonbola, a student at Yale, fell asleep in her dormitory’s common room while studying. Sarah Braasch, a white neighbor and fellow grad student, reported her to campus police. Campus police interrogated Siyonbola and confirmed her identity. Braasch previously called the cops on another black Yale student. Jean-Louis Reneson, when he found himself lost in the same dorm. Raw video from Siyonbola is here and here.
  17. May 11th, 2018: Driving while black. Rose Campbell, 65, was pulled over by officer Michael Swerdlove of the Alpharetta Police Department near Atlanta, Georgia. Swerdlove issued a ticket for Campbell’s failure to maintain her lane. When Campbell refused to sign the ticket — something that’s not legal in Georgia — Swerdlove told her she was under arrest. Campbell asked for a supervisor and Swerdlove called for additional officers. Officer James Legg arrived and violently pulled Campbell from her car. Dashcam video can be seen here along with a local news story. After the video went viral, Legg was suspended. He then resigned, blaming the Police Chief for not being able to perform a diligent investigation.
  18. May 17th, 2018: Returning merchandise to a store while black. Brian Spurlock tried to return a purchase for his girlfriend at the Trussville Hobby Lobby. When he did, a manager called the police because they claimed he looked like someone who was attempting to return stolen goods. The officer ran his ID and told him to return his merchandise or be cited for trespassing. Video of the end of the encounter can be seen here and here. Spurlock decided to sue Hobby Lobby as a result of the encounter with store managers and the local police.
  19. May 1st, 2018: Moving into your New York City apartment while black. Darren Martin and a friend were hauling boxes from a moving truck into his new Upper West Side apartment building. A neighbor called police claiming Martin had been breaking into a door, possessing a weapon, and more. Police held Martin until they finished with their “investigation”. Video of the encounter can be seen here.
  20. May 9th, 2018: Sitting at an unclean table while black. Anthony Wall went to a Waffle House with a group after taking his 16-year-old sister to prom. When his group sat a table that hadn’t yet been cleaned, a Waffle House employee cursed at his group. Then, a waitress called the police. Warsaw police officer Frank Moss arrived. Video shows that while Walls’ hands were up, the Moss choked him and slammed him to the ground. Videos of the police encounter can be seen here along with information about the incident. An investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation cleared Officer Moss of any wrongdoing. Wall, however, was found guilty of resisting arrest by Judge Mario Perez and received a 20 day suspended sentence and supervised probation for 18 months.
  21. May 20th, 2018: Driving with “vegetation” on your windshield while black. Officer Sean Skov pulled Rudy Samuel over for failing to signal a turn. When Skov approached Samuel, he claimed there was “vegetation” on Samuel’s window and used that as a rationale to search Samuel’s car for drugs. When Samuel refused to give consent for the search, he was pulled from his car, cuffed and detailed. No drugs were found. His cellphone recording was also turned off by police when he announced he had a licensed firearm in the car. Video of the encounter can be seen here. Police Chief Brett Stone confirmed that Officer Skov left the department five days later but wouldn’t confirm if it was due to the traffic stop. An open records request from a local news organization shows that Skov was, indeed, fired on May 24th. Samuel filed suit against the city of Winfield, Kansas for $1 million. Officer Skov went on to find police work in another Kansas town.
  22. May 23rd, 2018: Getting a parking violation while black. Sterling Brown, a player for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, is tased and violently restrained by Milwaukee police during a routine police stop over a parking violation. The police department subsequently released a full apology along with body camera footage from the on-scene officers. That video can be seen here. In December, seven months later, Officer Erik Andrade was fired for mocking the arrest and posting other racist remarks on his social media accounts. Brown sued the Milwaukee police for use of excessive force and violating the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The city of Milwaukee and its Police Department accepted no blame, saying that Brown was at fault. Instead, they opted to offer Brown $400,000 to settle out of court. Brown insisted an admission of guilt needed to be included. None was given, so he rejected the offer. As of this writing — over two years later — his case is still being tried. During a deposition, Officer James Collins' admitted that he called Brown a “douchebag” for daring to ask officers questions, something that’s protected by the Constitution.
  23. June 5th, 2018: Leaving Target while black. While leaving a neighborhood Target, Ashonae Davis was accused of stealing a bikini. She was restrained, handcuffed, and then forced to walk backwards through the store in a “walk of shame” while a store officer yelled loudly that she’d shoplifted. She was then forced to disrobe before two men to prove she hadn’t disrobed, which she hadn’t. The walk-of-shame technique is a widespread “technique” at Target to help dissuade shoplifting. No video of the event, but one video of the news story can be seen here. In response, Target fired an employee that had been involved with the incident. Davis’ attorneys are planning to file a lawsuit seeking civil damages — and possibly criminal wrongdoing — for false arrest and false imprisonment.
  24. June 6th, 2018: Being a boy while black. Chicago Police received a call about a young Black male with a gun and arrested and cuffed an innocent, unarmed, and shocked 10-year-old Michael Thomas Jr. The boy repeatedly told police that they had the wrong person but they didn’t listen. As a result, he was publically shamed and urinated in his pants during his detention. The family provided the video here to the local news. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson — who is also black — said the police “followed all of the rules and protocols” during the arrest. This, despite a 2017 Justice Department report which “sharply criticized Chicago police for too often using excessive force, including against children”. Since 2005, Chicago has paid more than half a billion dollars to settle lawsuits against police officers.
  25. June 6th, 2018: Being nearby while black. Mesa, Arizona police responded to a domestic dispute. They found Robert Johnson nearby although he wasn’t the subject of the dispute in question. Four officers surrounded him and kneed and punched him on his head and body until he fell to the ground. Later they slammed his head into an elevator door. Video of the confrontation can be seen here. The Mesa PD put the four officers on leave following the incident. The officers were not fired although they did receive disciplinary actions. In May 2019, Johnson filed a civil rights complaint against Mesa and three of the officers involved: Officer Ernesto Calderon, Officer Jhonte Jones, and Officer Rudy Monarrez. The lawsuit — which seeks $1.97 million — alleges the police used excessive force, were negligent, and inflected both mental and physical pain on him. In June of 2019, Police Chief was ousted after receiving a whopping 95% no-confidence vote from the Fraternal Order of Police. Their spokesperson said the chief had thrown “officers under the bus” by implementing changes in the department. Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating the Mesa PD for their use of excessive force.
  26. June 8th, 2018: Being homeless while black. Henry William Sintay, an Oakland resident, was filmed disturbing the belongings of Drew, a longtime and homeless resident of the Lake Merrit area. As good samaritan JJ Harris filmed, Sintay — even as he was asked to stop — tossed Drew’s belonging into Lake Merrit. Video can be seen here. The next day, Sintay was found back at the scene and got live-streamed on Matt Nelson’s Facebook page. As Nelson confronted Sintay, Sintay accosted him, grabbed his cellphone, and then ran off. He was arrested a short time later and charged with second-degree robbery. A judge sentenced him to five years’ probation, anger management classes and to stay away from the man who had confronted him, Matt Nelson, as well as from the Lak Merritt area where the incidents occurred. Harris joined forces with Kenzie Smith (from the April 29th story!) and set up a GoFundMe page for Drew raising over $14,000 for their homeless friend.
  27. June 11th, 2018: Returning an item while black. While Jovita Jones Cage was returning a purchase with a receipt to a Victoria’s Secret store in Collierville, Tennessee, an employee got suspicious and called the police. Jones was approached, cuffed with no explanation, escorted out, and told she was banned from shopping there. Jones posted about the arrest on her Instagram account and conducted a news interview about it here. Cage made a complaint with the company’s corporate office and received an apology and a $100 gift card, which she rejected.
  28. June 13th, 2018: Disputing an incorrect bill while black. A black couple is overcharged for orange juice at a Waffle House. When they disputed the bill, store employees called the police. Police bodycam footage can be seen at the link above and originally posted here. The footage clearly shows the couple being handcuffed by police despite explaining that they were disputing an incorrect charge. According to Business Insider, the couple wasn’t charged and they paid for their meals. Additionally, the woman later received a full refund from the location.
  29. Jun 13th, 2018: Swimming while black. Carle Wheeler was at the Westin Hotel in Pasadena, California on vacation. Despite other patrons being in the pool, Stoddard White Jr. from Nampa, Idaho approached and asked if Carle and her 5-year-old daughter had showered prior to entering the pool. Wheeler confronted the man about his racism on the spot. The man claimed he was simply an inspector for the health department. It was a lie. The Pasadena Health Department confirmed he was not. In reality, the man was just another guest at the hotel. Wheeler filmed a confrontation with the man and a Westin rep and posted it to her Facebook page here. When the hotel manager Carl Sprayberry arrived, he allowed the man to leave without identifying himself and then threatened to call the cops if Ms. Wheeler didn’t submit to his preferences. Even other hotel guests in the pool came to Ms. Wheeler’s defense. Eventually, Ms. Wheeler was able to identify the man on her own.
  30. June 14th, 2018: Wearing a shirt while Brown. Mia Irizarry rented a pavilion at the Forest Preserves park in Cook County, Illinois to celebrate her 24th birthday. While waiting for guests, Timothy Trybus approached and aggressively demanded to know (a) if Irizarry was a US citizen and (b) why she was wearing a Puerto Rican flag t-shirt. When Forest Preserve Officer Patrick Conner arrived, Irizarry asked for help but Conner walked away. A video of the encounter is posted here. Later — after additional officers arrived — a statement was taken from Irizarry and Trybus was arrested and handcuffed. He was later charged with two hate-crime felony counts, found guilty, and sentenced to probation for two years and 200 hours of community service. His prior record includes being charged with criminal trespass, domestic battery, causing bodily harm, and more. Officer Conner resigned on July 11 from the Cook County police department with a disciplinary review for prior misconduct still pending.
  31. Jun 18th, 2018: Driving into your gated community while black. Dr. Nnenna Aguocha was blocked by a white driver from entering her gated Buckhead townhome community in Atlanta, Georgia. The other driver claimed she didn’t live there and was protecting his community from recent thefts of air conditioning units. He then called the police. Aguocha did the same. Video of part of her encounter can be seen here. When police arrived, they verified Aguocha lived in the complex and the man moved his car. When a local news outlet spoke to the Homeowners Association, they said they weren’t aware of any recent thefts as the man had claimed. Additionally, it was revealed the man did not live in the complex, but in a nearby town. The man’s identity remains unknown, as he was not charged by police.
  32. June 20th, 2018: Running from the cops while black. Antwon Rose Jr. and another unarmed passenger fled from a car that was pulled over by police. As he ran away — back turned to officer Michael Rosfeld — he was shot three times by Rosfeld and killed. He was 17. Video of the shooting and killing is here. Incredibly, Rosfeld had been sworn into duty just a few hours before he shot and killed Rose Jr. The Allegheny County Police Department placed Rosfeld on unpaid leave and began an investigation. On June 26, Rosfeld was arrested and charged with criminal homicide. He was tried in court and found not guilty of first and third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter. Antwon’s family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the borough of East Pittsburgh and Officer Rosfeld. That suit was settled for $2 million in October of 2019.
  33. June 23rd, 2018: Selling water while black. 8-year-old Jordan Rogers was selling bottled water in front of her home in San Francisco to raise money for a trip to Disneyland. Her white neighbor, Allison Ettel, got bothered due to the noise, confronted the girl and her mother, and then called the police because Jordan was “illegally selling water without a permit.” Ettel claimed that she never actually called the police, but her claim was debunked when audio from the 911 call was made public on July 1st. Cellphone video posted here. Ettel went on a TV apology tour but the blowback hit hard: she was forced out of her role as CEO of a cannabis company. Kind strangers on Twitter purchased Disneyland tickets for her and her family.
  34. Jun 24th, 2018: Swimming while black. Some black teens were invited by friends to swim at a community pool in Summerville, South Carolina. After arriving, they were berated by Stephanie Sebby-Strempel who told them didn’t belong at the pool, then hit them in the face, used racial slurs, called them “punks”, and told them she’d call 911. Video and photos of the encounter were posted by Rhe Capers, one of the boys’ Aunts, on her Facebook page here. When deputies showed up to charge and arrest Sebby-Strempel at her home, she pushed one detective into a wall, injuring his knee and then bit the arm of a second detective, breaking the skin. She was charged with one count of third-degree assault and two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer. She plead guilty in court and was fined $1,000. She also lost her contracting job for a skincare company.
  35. June 29th, 2018: Mowing the wrong lawn while black. 12-year-old Reggie Fields owns a business, called “Mr. Reggie’s Lawn Cutting Service”. While cutting Lucille Holt-Colden’s lawn, Linda & Randy Krakora — two white neighbors who live in an adjoining home — called the police who showed up, found nothing wrong and charged no one. Shocked by what had transpired, Holt live-streamed her experience on Facebook. The Krakoras have called police about 60 times during their eighteen years in the Maple Heights neighborhood, with many of those calls about Holt-Colden or members of her family. Since her Facebook post, Reggie’s business is booming and a GoFundMe campaign driven by kind people around the community and the country helped raise about $49,000 for him. Painful postscript: Just eleven days later, during their July 4th BBQ party, the Krakoras again called 911 on Reggie and his friends for the very same reason.
  36. July 2nd, 2018: Mourning While black. Hundreds of mourners showed up to remember the life of Agnes Hicks at the church where she’d been baptized as a child. During the open-casket funeral, a chalice was knocked over and that’s when Pastor Michael Briese, a white man, exploded. Shouting “there will be no funeral, there will be no mass, no repass, everyone get the hell out of my church,” Briese kicked out Hicks’ black family and referred to the corpse as a “thing”, before calling police. The Archdiocese of Washington issued an apology as did Pastor Briese, who was placed on leave. Two years later — he is still the Pastor according to the church website. Video of the encounter can be seen here. Police, to their credit, helped find another church where the memorial service could be finished peacefully.
  37. July 4th, 2018: Campaigning While black. As Oregon State Representative Janelle Bynum was canvassing a Clackamas, Oregon neighborhood she represents, a Sheriff’s deputy pulled up. Bynum was asked if she was “selling something,” as OregonLive reported. A suspicious neighbor had called the police to investigate Bynum for “casing the neighborhood”. Rep Bynum posted about the event (cellphone photos, not videos)and said she’d spoken with the neighbor, by phone, and received an apology.
  38. July 4th, 2018: Playing music while Brown. Ivette Celedon is approached by an angry white neighbor named Larry Lappin for playing Spanish music in her own backyard. Using aggressive, foul language, Lappin demanded that Celedon was in “his country” and that their music wasn’t appropriate on the 4th of July. Lappin later apologized, saying “I had been drinking too much and a little thing set me off and it really bugged me.” Video of the encounter can be seen here.
  39. July 4th, 2018: Swimming while black. Camry Porter, her boyfriend, and her two God-children were enjoying time at their community pool when they were questioned by neighbor Erica Walker. Camry’s boyfriend was wearing socks which, Walker informed them, violated pool rules. Walkers’ white friends were also in violation of the same rules, but Walker wasn’t concerned about them. When Porter asked to know who Walker was, she told them she was in charge and then asked them to leave the pool and then called the police. Walker was later fired by the property management company. Video of the encounter can be seen here.
  40. July 4th, 2018: Lighting fireworks while Brown. 19-year-old Devonte Ortiz was lighting fireworks when his white neighbor — Jason Roche, 41 — shot him to death. Ortiz was unarmed at the time although Roche claimed he’d been reaching for a gun. Cellphone videos reviewed by the police after the incident revealed Roche was lying and that Ortiz had been moving away from his weapons. Roche was charged with 1st-degree murder. In March of 2019, he was tried in court and sentenced to 43 years in prison. Cellphone video was not released to the public but news story video is here.
  41. July 4th, 2018: Walking across the street while black. Ken Marino was walking with three friends when Officer James Hunt of the Chicago Police Department stopped them. Hunt got into a verbal argument with the group, calling one a “retard” and then adding “I kill motherfuckers, just because they crossed the street.” (That wasn’t a lie: Hunt shot 17-year-old DeSean Pittman ten times, killing him four years previously). Hunt left his squad car, taunted the group, lied about the law, and arrested all of Marino’s friends, including a 15-year-old boy. Prosecutors dropped all charges against the defendants. Officer Hunt joined the Chicago Police Department in June of 2013. “In less than six years, he has had eight accusations of misconduct filed against him. The complaints include the use of force, false arrest, and racial/verbal abuse. When measured against his years of service, that puts him in the top 95th percentile of CPD officers”. Marino posted a video of the encounter here on his Facebook page. An investigation by COPA found that Officer Hunt violated the law and recommended a one-year suspension. As of January of 2020, the Chicago PD’s review process had not yet finished.
  42. July 6th, 2018: Delivering newspapers while black. 11-year-old Uriah Sharp was delivering newspapers on the first day of his route. With him was his mother Brandie and brother Mycah. A neighbor called the police due to behavior that seemed “kind of suspicious”. Brandie posted about the event on her Facebook page. No cellphone video on this entry, but this story gets included because of the age of the victim. A post-incident interview with Uriah and his mother on CNN can be seen here.
  43. July 8th, 2018: Helping the homeless while black. Erika Martin had stopped at a local Safeway supermarket in Mountain View, California with her kids to help a homeless man and his dog. While her kids went inside to see if the bakery was giving out any free cookies, an employee called the police. Five cops showed up. Although Martin never entered the store, police blocked her car in its parking spot and stopped her on suspicion of shoplifting. Her sister Faith recorded part of the incident on her Facebook page here. A spokeswoman from Safeway said the company has policies in place against discrimination and harassment and that they’d reached out to apologize to Ms. Martin. However, the company did not provide any information about the employee(s) involved in the incident or if any disciplinary action was assigned.
  44. July 13th, 2018. Canvassing while black. Morehouse student Eli Sabur was out canvassing a neighborhood in Snellville, Georgia, for Candidate David Kim. Someone called the cops and three cruisers were sent out to investigate. Sabur recorded the incident which was uploaded to the candidate's Facebook page here. The cops left without incident. In a follow-up news interview, Sabur — who canvasses regularly — mentioned he’s stopped by police about three times per month.
  45. July 14th, 2018: Using a coupon while black. Camilla Hudson visited a CVS in Chicago and used a coupon she’d clipped to purchase a product. The white store manager, Morry Matson, decided that her coupon was fake and called the police. Hudson posted video of the encounter to her Facebook page and can be seen here. CVS apologized for the behavior of the store manager who was, at the time, running for alderman. The Chicago Police arrived, responding to a call for an “assault in progress” because Hudson was firmly not allowing the store managers to ignore her.
  46. July 23rd, 2018: Operating your own business while black. Vicktor Stevenson, owner of Gourmonade in San Fransisco was approached by four police officers in front of his shop, due to a burglary call. Police bodycam video can be seen here and video posted by Stevenson to his Instagram account can be seen here. Police left the scene after asking Stevenson to prove his identity and that he owned the shop.
  47. July 24th, 2018: Dancing in Idaho while black. A Spokane, Washington youth group was at a McDonalds in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho when they got into an altercation with Richard Sovenski and then went outside. There, Sovenski physically assaulted an adult chaperone with the group, followed by calling members of the group “n*****”, “faggot” and “half-breeds”. Sovenski was charged with misdemeanor battery and felony malicious harassment and plead innocent. In his trial, he was found guilty of battery but — amazingly — cleared of any hate crime charges. Video of the encounter can be seen here and here. Sovenski was sentenced to 180 of work-release which forced him to sleep at a correctional facility but allowed him outside the facility during the day to work.
  48. July 27th, 2018: Being in your own home while black. Ving Rhames, a well-known actor from the “Mission Impossible” film series, hears a knock on the front door of his Santa Monica, California home. When he opens the door, members of the Santa Monica Police Department are pointing their 9mm guns pointed at him. When officers recognize him, they drop their weapons. They tell Rhames that a neighbor called 911 to report “a large black man” breaking into the actor’s home. No video, but the audio of Rhames recounting his story can be heard here.
  49. July 31st, 2018: Eating in a dorm room while black. Oumou Kanoute, a sophomore at Smith College was working during the summer as a teaching assistant (or “TA”). During a lunch break, she “noticed a white man and a white woman pacing outside the room’s entrance”. Moments later, a campus police officer approached her for questioning which she recorded and posted to her Facebook page here. A follow-up news interview with Kanoute can be seen here. In response, Smith conducted an investigation posted the results of an investigation on its website. College President Kathleen McCartney offered apologies to Kanoute as well as the entire college. Mandatory Anti-Bias Training for Employees began at the college in October of that year and in January of 2019, Smith added Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Initiatives at the school.
  50. August 9th, 2018: Being Brown while working outside. When workers in Springfield, Oregon got their truck stuck at a construction site, they wound up blocking a portion of the sidewalk. While working to free the vehicle, 30-year-old Sean Ryan Felger was forced to maneuver his daughter’s stroller around their stuck vehicle, sending him into a rage. He first verbally and then physically assaulted the shocked worked. He called the workers “Beaners” and told them to “go back to Mexico”. After a manhunt was organized, Felger was found by police and charged with second-degree intimidation, disorderly conduct, and harassment. He’d shaved his head and beard, presumably to not be identified. Video of the encounter can be seen here.
  51. August 13th, 2018: Serving donuts while black. Keaundrea Wardlaw was working her shift at a donut shop in Flowood, Mississippi when Mississippi Baptist Medical Center employee Kyle Thomas got angry with his service. Wardlaw grabbed her phone during the confrontation as Thomas told her to “Shut your n***** mouth”. The medical center fired Thomas once the video went viral. Video of the encounter can be seen here.
  52. August 20th, 2018: Driving while black in Iowa. During a traffic stop near Des Moines, Iowa, Officers Kyle Thies and Natalie Heinemann pulled over Montray Little and his passenger, Jared Clinton. Video from the stop shows Officer Thies accusing the men of having drugs and a weapon although they had neither. Despite finding nothing, Little was handcuffed and Clinton was taken out of the car while they and the vehicle are searched, which is Unconstitutional. According to Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Thies arrested 236 people in 2017. 49% of them were black, in a city where blacks only account for slightly more than 10% of the population. In June of 2019, the city of Des Moines paid $75,000 to Little and Clinton to settle a racial profiling lawsuit. Neither officer was disciplined. Thies is at the center of at least six other racial profiling stops.
  53. August 18th, 2018: Working on your car while black. Jaquon Dean, a 21-year-old black man, was working on his car in the Indianapolis Creekside Meridian Hills Apartment Complex where he lived. James Reynolds, one of the apartment’s security guards — who Dean says knows him — accused Dean of loitering and asked for ID. Dean began recording and denied the request as he was on his own property. Despite his vest saying “police”, Reynolds was not working in that capacity: he was an off-duty reserve cop. Dean had previously complained to apartment managers about the security team. Reynolds calls for backup — from members of his own private security team — and Dean is forcibly arrested. Reynolds stomps on Dean’s phone, before picking it up and ending the video. Video of the arrest can be seen here. Reynolds was fired from Indiana’s Marion County Sheriff’s Office in 2013. As a result of Dean’s video being seen millions of times, Reynolds lost his job from the Sheridan Police Department. Under Indiana law, if an officer believes you’ve committed a crime and you refuse to show ID you’re committing another crime. However, Reynolds was not an officer, just a reserve cop.
  54. August 31st, 2018: Riding a train while brown. Dexter Lotz, a 21-year-old part-time student, was listening to music while riding on the MUNI train in the San Francisco area. The music upset at least two passengers who, after a verbal spat began, placed Lotz in a headlock, slammed his head up against the train doors and then tossed him onto the streets of the city when the doors opened. Video can be seen here. Police were called and Lotz was cuffed while one of his assailants was not. Police encouraged Lotz to NOT press charges. I can find no public records or statements from the SFMTA or SFPD in regard to their investigations.
  55. September 2nd, 2018: Having a White Grandmother while black. 18-year-old Akil Carter was riding from church to work in the backseat of his grandmother’s car in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The car was pulled over by police and Akil was ordered from the car — with his hands-up — at gunpoint. Dashcam and squad car cam videos can be viewed here. Carter was detained in the back of a squad car for questioning for about 5-10 minutes while his Grandmother informed cops that he was her Grandson. The officers were responding to a tip about two black men hijacking a car made, supposedly by a black couple. The police never provided proof of this, however. In August of 2019, Akil and his grandmother filed a civil lawsuit against the Wauwatosa Police Department and their chief. A hearing in the case was recently delayed due to the global pandemic.
  56. September 8th, 2018: Entering an elevator while black. Isiah Butterfield and friends — all students at Florida A&M University — were attempting to enter a student housing building to see their friend but didn’t have a key. They entered behind another person, Donald Crandall Jr., who tried stopping the group. When they entered the building anyway, Crandall Jr. — who isn’t a resident of the building — pulled a gun out to emphasize how serious he was. Video of the altercation is here. Police issued a warrant for Crandall’s arrest. Crandall was fired from his job as a hotel manager when the video went viral. Police arrested him on charges of improper exhibition of a firearm. He entered a “deferral of prosecution” program allowing him to complete 50 hours of community service, pay a $100 fine, and not to possess any firearms within six months in exchange for having all charges dropped.
  57. Sept 12th, 2018: Washing the dog while brown. David Reynolds was washing his dog when cops from the Topeka, Kansas Police Department knocked on his door. They’d received a call about a violent, domestic situation involving a man with a rifle. Reynolds, wearing only underwear, refused to answer questions and slammed the door shut. Police forced their way in with guns drawn and handcuffed him. When they realized they’d found the wrong man, they got an educated lecture from Reynolds about the necessity of a warrant. A partial video of the encounter, post-break-in, can be seen here. A statement from the police can be read on Reynolds page here. According to this article, there was an altercation with an unnamed woman, but she claimed that it wasn’t physical. A follow-up video from Reynolds to his detractors can be watched here.
  58. Sept 24th, 2018: Being in your apartment while black. Bothem Shem Jean, originally from Saint Lucia, was a recent college graduate living in Dallas working for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Officer Amber Rene Guyger — on the Dallas Police Force for four years — lived in the apartment directly below Jean’s. One evening, she came home and, according to reports, accidentally entered Jean’s apartment instead of her own. Thinking Jean was a burglar, she shot him twice, killing him. Her 5+ min call to 911 can be heard here. Video of the immediate aftermath can be seen here. Guyger was arrested by the Texas Rangers on September 9th and fired by the Dallas Police Department on September 24. In October of 2019, Guyger was found guilty of murder, the first cop in the city of Dallas to be convicted of murder since the 1970s. During the trial, prosecutors presented racist texts and social media posts from Guyger. She is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence. Sad postscript: Ronnie Babbs, the woman who filmed and then posted the aftermath of Jean’s murder was called a “black radical” by her employers, then lost her job, had her credentials blacklisted (preventing further employment in Texas), received death threats, and was labeled anti-police. A GoFundMe page helped raise her $75,000.
  59. October 7th, 2018: Babysitting White kids while black. Corey Lewis was babysitting two white kids at a Walmart when a suspicious white woman approached and asked if the kids were OK. The woman wasn’t satisfied with his answer, apparently, because she followed him by foot in the store and then — by car — all the way to his mother’s home. Lewis noticed and live-streamed the woman following him on his Facebook page here. Then she called the cops. Lewis live-streamed that encounter as well which included the cops asking the kids to get out of the car to confirm what Lewis had already said.
  60. October 12th, 2018: Wearing a backpack while black. Teresa Klein, a white woman, was shopping at a neighborhood store in Brooklyn, NY when she felt something touch her backside. When she turned, she saw a 9-year-old black boy dressed for school with his mother and sister and accused them of sexual assault. She then stepped outside to call 911, something caught on video by Jason Littlejohn which can be seen here. Surveillance camera footage from the store (which can be seen here) vindicates the boy and his family. It was also reported that the owner of the store reported that Ms. Klein has a history of being unwell. When Ms. Klein went back to the store to review the footage and saw the mistake she’d made, she offered an apology to the young boy and his family.
  61. October 12th, 2018: Entering your apartment building while black. When D’Arreion Toles returned home from a late night at the office, another tenant — Hillary Brooke Thornton — created a roadblock. She claimed to need to know which apartment Toles lived in before she’d let him into his own building. When he calmly refused to do so and explained that she wasn’t a member of the building security team, she refused to move. Totes relented, showed Brooke his key fob to prove residency, and moved past the still resistant Thornton and into the lobby. Thornton then followed him into the elevator and then, incredibly, to his front door. Video from Toles can be seen here. Thornton then called the police, claiming that Toles had “choked and assaulted her”. Police arrived, interviewed Toles, saw the footage, and left without incident. Thornton lost her job with Tribeca-STL Management, a property management company as a result of the video going viral. Toles interview on the news can be seen here.
  62. October 14th, 2018: Purchasing refreshments while black. Community activist Jonathan Thrower had just finished leading a group of teens and parents on a mile-long march against gun violence in Charleston, South Carolina. They stopped a local gas station to purchase some drinks. A white couple arrived and the woman — Brenda Metz — called the police, and claimed that the children were vandalizing the gas station. “It’s like a riot out here,” she told dispatchers. The audio of her 911 call can be heard here. Video of the encounter was uploaded to Facebook and can be seen here. In the video, no one can be seen or heard vandalizing the property. Cops arrived, but the families had left by then. No charges were pressed. Later, after reviewing security footage, the corporate owners of the gas station said, “We can confirm that the group of 30–40 individuals — many of them children who were gathered at the location following the march — were calm and peaceful…” They also indicated that Metz — who was the store manager — would not be working at that location any longer. Murphy USA, owners of the gas station, also started a partnership with Thrower to help sponsor future marches.
  63. October 20th, 2018: Gardening while black. Marc Peeples returned to the half-abandoned neighborhood in Detroit where he grew up. Over a period of two years, he revitalized an abandoned plot by creating a community garden and painting trees. Three women — Deborah Nash, Martha Callahan, and Jennifer Morris — called the police frequently and claimed that Peeples had threatened, stalked, and sexually harassed them. Police arrested Peeples and video of the arrest and aftermath can be seen here. Peeples was forced to stand trial. In court, Judge Bryant described the women’s testimony as inconsistent, without credibility, and part of a strategic campaign against Mr. Peeples. Then, she threw out the case. Despite the victory, Peeples lost his garden and work contracts and had to pay for defense attorneys and for bond to get out of jail. The community rallied behind Peeples and helped raise over $64,000 for him. Peeples sued the three women for $300,000 in damages and, in April of 2019, received a default judgment from two of the women and reached a non-financial settlement with the third, Deborah Nash. Nash claims she’s not a racist, but Kyle Bristow to defend her, a known white Nationalist. Peeples took the GoFundMe monies to help found “Liberated Farms” a community garden for children in the same neighborhood.
  64. October 26th, 2018: Waiting for AAA while black. As sisters Chele and Leisa Garris waited in the parking lot of their apartment complex for AAA, they were accosted by Susan Westwood, a fellow neighbor. Westwood was drunk, accused them of not belonging in the complex, and asked if they were waiting for their “baby daddy”. She then bragged about her salary and warned them of her concealed carry weapon. Police were called and the situation was diffused. A video of the encounter can be seen here. Westwood was fired by her employer, Charter Communications, because of her behavior. She pled guilty to misusing the 911 system and two counts of simple assault and was sentenced to 12 months of probation. She was additionally ordered to pay court costs, participate in community support meetings, and any after-care alcohol programs recommended as a result of her substance abuse assessment, and… actively participate in meetings of the White People Caucus.
  65. November 12th, 2018: Putting your feet up while black. Professor Anita Moss, a white woman, was bothered by students putting their feet up during her lectures. In one case, she wrote an email to a student asking her not to show up again to her human anatomy and physiology class until they’d spoken. When the student showed up for class anyway, Professor Moss called campus police and had her escorted from the class. Video of that can be seen here. The ejected student — named Paige — responded on Twitter with additional details. According to the University, Moss was placed on leave for the semester and would be required to receive classroom management training before returning. The results of the University’s investigation — shown here in this memo — found the incident was not racially motivated, a finding supported by, Paige, the student who’d been removed.
  66. December 1st, 2018: Talking in a department store while black. Lena Jones and two friends were shopping at a Target in Nashville Tennessee when an unnamed and offended white woman approached. She told the black women to not talk about sex in public. The only problem: they hadn’t been talking about sex — they'd been talking about movies. When they pressed the white woman for what she heard, the encounter got racial. “I know you’re trained on lying, you’re trained liars. You’re perfect for the court system,” said the white woman. Video of the encounter can be seen here. Target employees quickly diffused the situation and no charges were pressed by any of the parties.

These 67 incidents — that occurred more than once per week during 2018— were the ones where someone took the time to record video. That means many more incidents like these happened where no video is available. Here are five, to start the conversation:

(Dis)Honorable Mention for:

May 12th, 2018: Cleaning the highway while black: Shawna Harrell and her sisters from the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority were cleaning a section of Interstate 93 in Pennsylvania that they’d adopted as part of a state Adopt-a-Highway program. As they cleaned the road, a State Trooper pulled over and wanted to know if “they’d been fighting”. When they showed their bags of trash and explained what they were doing, the Trooper asked to see ID. No video, just a twitter post.

May 16th, 2018: Walking with your baby while black. No video for this horrific story although there is a Facebook post. Donald Sherman was out walking his baby in a Washington D.C. park but was asked by “Special Police” to answer questions. Sherman is dark-skinned black; his son, lighter-skinned. A white woman had reported him for — what, child theft?!? — causing security to double-check that the child was OK.

May 31st, 2018: Legislating while black. No video for this story about Ohio State Representative Emilia Strong Sykes. Sykes is currently serving her third year as a Democratic state representative from Akron and is the Minority Leader in the State House Chamber. On her way into the Ohio Statehouse to work, she was stopped by a security officer to confirm her identity. Her white, male colleague was not stopped. The Officer told Sykes “You don’t look like a legislator.”

November 2nd, 2018: Canvassing while black. Amanda Kemp, a racial justice mentor, was canvassing with her white husband in a gated community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They were in the community to visit one home but decided to visit others. This prompted Elizabeth Johnson — a member of the Republican Committee of Lancaster County — and another resident in the community, to get confront the couple and call the police. After they got home, an officer showed up and spoke to Kemp’s White husband. No video but a Facebook post with photos can be seen here. She shared about the experience on Facebook live here and the story about the confrontation begins at 6:32 in the video.

December 17th, 2018: Cashing a Check While black. No video for this story, although a news interview can be seen here. Paul McCowns tried to cash a check at a branch of Huntington bank in Brooklyn, Ohio. He provided two forms of ID and a fingerprint as required but was told the bank wouldn’t cash his check — his first paycheck from a new job — for $1000. As he left the bank, McCowns was met by the Brooklyn Police, who handcuffed him. The bank’s teller, it turns out, had called 911. The Police released McCowns once officers “confirmed with the account holder the check was valid.”

Professional Data: The Trends Are Clear

Now that I’ve assembled data collected by everyday people, let’s take a quick look at the data collected by journalists, researchers, and academics. In regards to race, the data are clear: black Americans are currently living in another America than their white counterparts:

And those are just the studies that examined the national data. Other studies which analyzed state, city, and county data have confirmed similar racial bias problems:

This racial bias problem in America is validated again and again and again. Yet, this bias isn’t a matter of policing: the police force is only a reflection of our culture at large. The culture that produces a racist police force is, by definition, also racist.

Unfortunately, our culture doesn’t quite comprehend that it’s actually racist: according to polling from 2015, a staggering 50% of white Americans not only didn’t see a race problem in the criminal justice system but also thought the Voting Rights Act was no longer necessary:

Statistics from 2015. More recent stats available here.

The good news? Those statistics have changed since the death of George Floyd, Breanna Talyor, and Ahmad Aubrey. While there’s still a difference between whites and blacks when it comes to opinions on the Justice System, the gap is smaller now than it was in 2015 and more whites have changed their minds about how justice is served in America.

  • In 2015, 49% of the white Americans polled thought that our criminal justice system treated whites and blacks equally. Today, that number is 29%.
  • In 2015, there was a 30-point difference between whites and blacks who thought our criminal justice system was serving everyone equally. Today, there is a 23-point difference.

We have a long way yet to go.

Additional Readings, Videos, and Websites to Learn More

Educational Readings:

Excellent Websites Covering American Slavery Deathtoll Statistics:

Excellent Websites Covering Black News & Culture:

Excellent Websites Providing Statistics on Crime & Imprisonment:

Racism
Politics
America
BlackLivesMatter
Race

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David Koff

Written by David Koff

36 Followers

David lives in Portland, OR with his wife, son & cats. He writes about society, religion & politics. He’s also on Medium at: https://medium.com/@TheTechTutor

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