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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOn America's "racial terrorism"
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/americas-racial-terrorism-silence-condemned-us/BRYAN STEVENSON, Founder, Equal Justice Initiative: I was doing a hearing in the Midwest. I had my suit and tie on. I was there early. It was the first time I had been in that courtroom.
And I sat down at defense counsels table, as I always do. And the judge walked in. And the judge said: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, you get back out there and you wait out there in the hallway until your lawyer gets here. I dont want any defendant sitting in my courtroom without their lawyer.
And I stood up and I said: Im sorry, Your Honor. I didnt introduce myself. My name is Bryan Stevenson. I am the lawyer. And the judge started laughing, and the prosecutor started laughing, and I made myself laugh, because I didnt want to disadvantage my client.
But, afterwards, I was thinking, what is it that, when this judge saw a middle-aged black man, it didnt even occur to him that that man sitting at defense counsels table was the lawyer?
I worry about that judge. I worry that hes sentencing defendants of color more harshly. I worry that he doesnt value and accept the testimony of black and brown witnesses the way he does other people. I worry that a narrative of racial difference compromises his ability to provide fair and just treatment of all people.
SNIP
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On America's "racial terrorism" (Original Post)
pnwmom
Apr 2017
OP
LT. Colonel Beauregard Jeff Sessions plans on full on war against brown Americans
Eliot Rosewater
Apr 2017
#1
Eliot Rosewater
(31,112 posts)1. LT. Colonel Beauregard Jeff Sessions plans on full on war against brown Americans
so this is timely.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)2. Worst part? no apology instead the judge laughs and others join in
Stuff likeThis? Happens all the time unfortunately .
RedWedge
(618 posts)3. I've done this myself. It was a huge wakeup call.
Racism is insidious.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)4. Another "judge" who needs to be disbarred
No, this type of bullshit should not be normalized.
radius777
(3,635 posts)5. that's why "populism" alone that focuses on class
and economic justice in a generic sense won't work, as even succesful/rich/famous PoC are still considered inferior to mediocre whites.
"What do you call an educated negro with a B.A. or an M.A., with a B.S., or a PhD?" The answer? "You call him a n----r, because that is what the white man calls him, a n----r." - Malcolm X