White Fragility Digest #1: 13 May 2018

[salin]

17. From the Daily Beast: When Calling 911 Makes the Emergency

https://www.thedailybeast.com/when-calling-911-makes-the-emergency?ref=home

Excerpt from the article:

Almost all of you have a superpower that I’m in fear of. You have the power to call the police and be automatically believed. Even if I’m in a suit, whiteness gets the benefit of the doubt. And you have this power available to you all the time, regardless of what I’m doing. Even if I’m not committing a crime you can call the police and be believed and put my life in danger.

I could be calmly sitting in a Starbucks, or quietly sleeping in a common area at Yale, or having a barbecue in a public park. Yet, no matter where I am and how many laws I’m not breaking, you could call the police. A whiff of your white fear will ignite them to action, leaving me to defend myself even if no crime was witnessed.

I obviously respect every citizen’s right—slash duty—to engage the police when there’s actual danger or when there’s a real crime taking place. But some white people are wearing crime glasses that make normal actions by black people like walking, sitting, or sleeping appear criminal. Before calling the police ask yourself, “If the people involved were white would I call the police?” as my friend Rinku Sen does in her amazing piece. If you think someone being black somehow justifies expecting criminality from them then you are a part of the problem. Keep this in mind: The overwhelming majority of black people have never and will never commit a crime. It’s crazy that I have to say that, but I do.

This article seems appropriate to include in this thread. Suggests that an aspect of this quick response to call the cops is about demonstrations of domination.

Mr. Scorpio, Please keep posting these actions of mass (i.e. collective) insanity. Exposure is important.