My daughter just told me her brother was stopped and placed in a police car on the way to school today. I am really pissed because this happens to my son a lot. And its because he is Black. He has not had a single year since he turned 13 when he has not been stopped by the local Police department. Why? If you are Black then you already know why. He matched the description of a suspect in the area.
I did not take him to school today because his sister had an appointment, so he had to take the city bus today. He told her he was placed in the back of a squad car with three other individuals--say it with me now "who matched the description of the suspect." The end result he missed his AP calculus test waiting in the back of a squad car. I feel really pissed off the more I think on it because last weekend my kids were debating for City championships. I am steamed because they won first place and we will now go to Washington D.C. and participate in the National Urban Debate League Championship but he will never escape the stigma of matching the usual suspect no matter what he does. What has me seeing red is there is no recourse for me as a parent or him as member of society and second as a young Black man. The bottom line is if he should ever resist the demands of being the usual "suspect" the chances are he will be dead.