Picture this. Youre walking down the street. Coming toward you is a black guy, probably in his mid-20s, dreads, 6 2, all muscle and hes not smiling. Take a minute - who do you think this guy is? What would you say if I told you hes the CEO of a tech start up whos thinking hard about his financing strategy and thats why hes not smiling? Next coming down the street is a 30-something African-American woman with her hair in twists. Shes got huge gold hoops on and is sporting a big puffy coat. Shes also wearing sky-high wedge heels. Whos she? What if I told you that shes a famous opera singer? Then theres the skinny, slightly dingy white guy with the sides of his head shaved and hair that flops into his eyes. He has so many tattoos that they make visible sleeves under his ratty t-shirt. Would you be surprised to learn that hes been married for twelve years and has three kids on the honor roll? Hes a forklift operator down at the warehouse and has no criminal record. The white girl with the lip piercing, purple hair and Chucks? Shes a professor of Asian studies and an expert on the Han Dynasty. The Latino guy with his hair slicked back? An insurance broker who employs fourteen people. The Latina speaking rapid-fire Spanish to her girlfriend? A physicist doing post-doc work at MIT. The Asian man? Hes been a cab driver his entire life and has put four daughters through college. The Asian woman? An real estate entrepreneur who makes an effort to rent to women transitioning off welfare to work. See that white woman whos photo is at the top of this page? That soft, doughy Republican-looking one? Her great-great-great grandfather ran a stop on the Underground Railroad in Illinois. If I could influence the Ferguson Police Department, or any other law enforcement group, Id tell them this: Just because something looks one way doesnt mean it is one way. Everyone deserves the benefit of finding out exactly who they are before anyone acts.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 22:59:46 +0000
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