Over the last few days, America has heard about the high school student who was tossed across a classroom by a "school resource" officer. The video of the incident has led people to take sides. There are those who say that the officer used excessive force in his handling of the student. And then, there are others who believe that the student got what she deserved, for being disruptive in class, and not following the orders of the officer. The officer was fired following a review of his actions.
But what if the student in question did what was asked of her by the officer? I wonder now if that would have changed the outcome of this whole situation. Keep in mind that the student is Black, while the officer is White. Meanwhile, at least 100 students led a protest to have the officer reinstated, which included some black students.
This brings me to the issue of "Respectability Politics," which dictates that if a person of color (specifically, a Black person) acts in a manner that is "respectable," then (s)he should little to nothing to worry about when it comes to interactions with white people (specifically, white police officers). Some people, mostly political and social conservatives, hold this to be true. Others, though, don't think that respectability matters, especially if some white people already hold negative views about people of color.
Count me as one of those who don't seem to think that respectability matters. Having lived in New York City, which is supposed to be a beacon of tolerance (it's not; the City can be just as racist as any other city in America), I have some experience with this. When I was in high school, I was stopped by a police officer inside a train station in The Bronx. After showing him my high school identification card, he made the claim that I looked older than I actually was. In another incident, this time in Manhattan, in 2006, I was stopped by another police officer as I was leaving Grand Central Terminal, and I was detained for about twenty minutes while they verified my identification. I would be told that I looked like someone who passed through there earlier. In both incidents, I was "respectable," but as I mentioned before, if someone has a negative view of people of color, it doesn't matter how "respectable" one thinks (s)he is.
I always carry myself in a civilized manner, but if I learned anything from my time in the so called "greatest city in the world" (it's not), it's that racism exists even in the most "liberal" or "progressive" of places. Wherever I go, I know that I will be scrutinized more become some people think that I don't belong in certain areas because of my skin color. No amount of "respectability" will ever change that.
Comment...As you see fit.
No comments:
Post a Comment