Just a few short years ago, it seemed as if racism in America was less prevalent— which led us to believe that race relations had gotten much better. But witnessing pattern after pattern of disturbing and deadly incidents has proven otherwise, along with our failure to effectively address racism at institutional and systemic levels. And with Donald Trump and his white nationalist agenda in charge of our government, we now definitively know that there is much to be done in order to achieve racial equity in the United States.
In 2014, Ferguson, Missouri, was ground zero for racial inequality. The death of Michael Brown launched nationwide protests and calls of accountability for the ways that policing has disproportionately targeted blacks and people of color. Under Eric Holder’s leadership, the Justice Department launched an investigation into the Ferguson Police Department. Their findings discovered a dangerous and intentional pattern of racial bias, which resulted in unconstitutional stops and arrests of Ferguson’s black population. Though they were mandated to correct these processes, sadly, it appears they have only gotten worse over time. But this is not just limited to the city of Ferguson. A statewide trend shows that black and Latino drivers are much more likely to be pulled over and searched than white drivers.
According to Mother Jones, driving while black in Missouri is at its worst in 18 years.
There is a stark new statistic out from the office of Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley: In 2017, black drivers in the state were 85 percent more likely to be pulled over than white drivers. That’s an even greater disparity than the state AG’s office found when it gathered the same data last year—and the biggest disparity since it began analyzing traffic-stop data in 2000.
Among black drivers who are stopped in Missouri, they are 51 percent more likely to be searched than their white counterparts. Among Latinos, it’s 45 percent. Perhaps this is why the NAACP issued its first ever statewide travel warning last year, suggesting that Missouri is unsafe for people of color. As CNN writes, the NAACP cited that crimes based on race, gender, and color have a long history in the state.
The advisory was issued after
Senate Bill 43 -- which makes it more difficult for employees to prove their protected class, like race or gender, directly led to unlawful discrimination -- passed through the Missouri Legislature in June. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens signed it into law soon after.
Greitens and other supporters of the bill have said it puts Missouri's standards for lawsuits in line with other states.
But that's not how the NAACP sees it. The Missouri NAACP State Conference called the legislation a "Jim Crow Bill."
Last month, Gov. Eric Greitens resigned in disgrace after a sex scandal. And while the state will no doubt be better off without him, there’s still a long, entrenched history of racism that casts a shadow over the state. At this point, with all we know and have seen, it’s questionable if there’s anywhere in America that is really safe for people of color. But as far as Missouri goes, the message is clear: if you are black or brown, drive at your own risk.