Statement on the killing of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
I remember the first time I was pulled over by a police officer. Although it was close to 20 years ago, I can still vividly remember my father’s response.
It was shortly after finishing up a high school basketball game against our rivals. Adrenaline still pumping, the team decided to head over to a friend’s house. Along the way I had to stop and get gas, and while pulling out of the gas station I forgot to immediately turn on my headlights.
Less than a mile after leaving the gas station, I saw flashing lights in my rear-view mirror.
This was my first time being pulled over, so you could imagine my level of nervousness and apprehension as I sat there still in my mandatory game day attire (khakis, collared shirt, and tie).
The officer asked the usual questions. License? Registration? Where are you heading? Where are you coming from?
I answered the questions honestly. He then asked me to step out of the car and proceeded to search me and my gym bag in the back seat. After finding nothing but smelly sneakers and sweaty clothes he let me go back on my way. I was upset, but I continued on that night with my friends.
When I got home I told my father about the encounter.
“Dad you would not believe what happened after the game. I got pulled over and the officer searched me on the side of the road.”
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“It may be the first, but it will not be the last. The main thing is that you are okay and you made it home. Things can be a lot worse, trust me.”
We as a society must begin to understand that we are all connected. A woman who does not make it home could be any one of our mothers. A young man whose life is taken too early could be any one of our sons.
It wasn’t until years later that I truly understand the unfortunate reality of what my father was saying. Just as the recent tragedies highlight, “making it home” after a routine traffic stop is not always a guarantee for members of my community.
We as a society must face the fact that there is different criminal justice system for men and women of color (Black and Latino). Yesterday, while giving a speech about the disparities in numbers, our President stated the following facts:
· African Americans are 30 percent more likely than whites to be pulled over.
· After being pulled over, African Americans and Hispanics are 3 times more likely to be searched.
· Last year African Americans where shot by police at more than twice the rate of whites.
· African Americans are arrested at twice the rates of whites.
· African Americans receive sentences that are nearly ten percent longer than comparable whites arrested for the same crime.
These disparities do not solely affect communities of color. This impacts all of us, and it should be unacceptable to everyone.
We must take a serious look into our policing and criminal justice system. I have a great deal of respect for the brave men and women that put themselves into harm’s way. Of the 900,000 law enforcement officers in the U.S., the vast majority strive to do the right thing every single day.
But I also believe that now is the time to come together to strengthen the bonds between community and police, starting with de-escalation and crisis intervention training, quality community policing in all neighborhoods, and education around implicit bias.
We as a society must begin to understand that we are all connected. A woman who does not make it home could be any one of our mothers. A young man whose life is taken too early could be any one of our sons.
