I am white, and was raised in small mostly white communities when I was young, but moved to a larger city as a young teenager. Like a lot of white kids, I didn't understand how much of a thing casual everyday racism was, until I met my future best friend Cameron. I'd never been pulled over by the cops before, and now suddenly I was getting pulled over frequently, for no reason at all, the only difference was now there was a black man in the car. I remember the first time getting pulled over, and the cop asking for all of our ID's with no explanation at all, Cam saw me about to mouth off, and the look of terror on his face made me shut up immediately. Later, he told me when it happened again to just comply, don't ask questions, don't get angry. I had never had to view cops with fear before, in my mind, you only needed to be afraid if you were a criminal, but Cam was afraid, just for existing as black. If people try to tell you that black people are dramatizing their struggle, they are lying!
@RickiTarr In the late 1970's, I drove a taxi part-time in the American south as a way of working my way through university. I was happy to pick up black people and take them to their destinations. As a young, long-haired, white, university student, carrying black passengers in the back of my taxi, the police would frequently pull me over, make me get out of the taxi, and walk away from the vehicle (out of ear-shot of my passengers) and question me as to whether my passengers were threatening me in any way. "No sir, officer. Everything's fine." Then I was allowed to proceed.
I remember one night I picked up a very glamourous young black couple. The young lady looked like a movie star in a red ball gown. The gentleman looked like Marvin Gaye in a tuxedo. We were having a great conversation. The police stopped my taxi. After a few minutes of the usual questioning, they let us proceed.
When I got back in the taxi, I looked at them and quietly said "I'm sorry." There was a pause. They looked at me and the gentleman said quietly: "It's okay". We drove on.
My life changed at that moment.
'Kin 'ell. There are more dramatic stories in this incredible thread, but for some reason this is the one that made me tear up.
