[This post is the first in a three part series that will examine perceptions, leadership and solutions associated with the problems effecting minority communities and police]
Charlotte, North Carolina-- It is out of character for me to address political and social issues as my posts generally are focused on career growth, and the business community; however, the events this week in Charlotte, N.C., require that I use this platform to educate and add to the discourse in a positive way.
First and foremost, I was born in Charlotte. I went to elementary, middle and high school here, and now reside in Uptown (which is our downtown for those unfamiliar). I am a Charlottean through and through.
It has become apparent that the schism between the police department and minority communities, specifically the black community, is as wide as it has ever been. This post will deal primarily with why the schism exists. Subsequent posts will deal with the role community and government leaders play while the final post will offer solutions that can be brought about to repair the damage.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
I am very fortunate to have a diverse group of friends that spans different races and socio-economic stratum. The best part of those relationships is the open and honest conversations about all aspects of our culture and politics. In the wake of the death of Keith Lamont Scott, it became clear during conversations with friends, and especially in reading posts on social media, that many people do not understand why there is so much anger in the black community over Mr. Scott’s death; they do not understand the anger of those who have been protesting in the days and nights following his death. Let me be clear – violence is not acceptable. But with that said, the reason for anger is simple – the black community has a historical mistrust of police. There are too many examples of why to cover in a single post, but I will provide several examples that should illustrate the source of the mistrust.
Let's begin with Theophilus Eugene Connor. Known as Bull Connor, he was the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham, Ala., during the 1950s and ‘60s. Connor’s brutal tactics to quell civil rights for blacks in the ‘50s and ‘60s are well documented. Under his jurisdiction, the local fire and police departments executed his orders, including pursuing protestors with batons, attack dogs and fire hoses that were put on full pressure. Connor took pride in arresting women and children. He was also responsible for the massacre on Bloody Sunday, when protestors attempted to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. On that day – and to the horror of a national television audience – tear gas, batons and attack dogs were employed to intimidate and injure peaceful protestors marching for their rights. These events, orchestrated by Bull Connor, cultivated the already pervasive view held by many blacks that the police – whose job is to Protect and Serve – was not meant to protect or serve them. Many blacks had experienced a Bull Connor figure in their city or township minus the national attention.
Fast forward to just last year – Police Officer Dustin Alex reported the Chief of Police at the Clatskanie Police Department in Oregon for "dancing like a monkey" after an African-American woman filed a discrimination complaint. Chief Martin Hoover pounded his chest and danced around the room, reports show. Chief Hoover later resigned, but the damage had been done.
In Oakland, Calif., three police chiefs resigned in less than a year due to an investigation regarding racist text messages in the police department. Some of the text messages included images of the Ku Klux Klan and racial epithets. In the same department, Sgt. Mike Gantt admitted that his girlfriend actually wrote some of his reports for some of his most sensitive cases.
Just this past week in Atlanta, Officer Sherry Hall was charged with several felonies for stating that a black male suspect shot her. It has now been determined that she shot herself. In response, the special agent who investigated this case stated, “After following leads and evidence, the investigation has now revealed that there is no, and never was, a suspect shooter at large…”
DIFFERENT OUTCOMES
In addition to the examples outlined above, there are also outcome-based reasons for the anger of many in minority communities. This anger and mistrust of the police force is due in large part to how non-black criminals are treated when being apprehended.
Let’s take the case of Ahmad Rahami. Two weeks ago, Rahami attempted to use pressure cookers to terrorize and kill in New Jersey and New York. During his apprehension, he had a shoot out with police that turned Linden, N.J. into a modern day O.K. Corral. Two police officers were injured during the shoot out, but Rahami was taken alive.
Last summer, Dylan Roof, the man responsible for killing nine parishioners at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., apprehended alive and well – and, was TAKEN TO GET FAST FOOD BEFORE BEING TAKEN TO JAIL.
The list of non-black murderers who managed to stay alive to be taken into custody includes the likes of Timothy McVeigh (who killed 168 people in 1995 when he bombed the Alfred P. Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City), Ted Kaczynski (aka, the Unabomber), Jeffrey Dahmer, Nidal Hassan, Ted Bundy, John Hinckley, Lee Harvey Oswald. The list goes on and on.
To many in the black community, the spectre of mass murderers and terrorists being taken into custody alive and in at least one case, being provided with fast food after their killing spree is an outrage. Moreover, the reality that a black man who is stopped for a traffic violation, or selling loose cigarettes or CD’s on a street corner has a greater likelihood of being killed is equally outrageous.
This reality is the unbalanced equation. A society where one group of people can commit mass murder yet enjoy the privilege of being taken to jail alive while another sect of the population has to worry about being killed for smoking marijuana in their car, or be choked to death for selling loose cigarettes is an unbalanced equation.
I cannot overstate the significance of this point and this is essential to understand the level of anger and mistrust within the black community.
Some might say that the reason blacks are getting killed is because they are not following the directions of the arresting officers. While every person who comes into contact with law enforcement should abide by their instructions, not doing so does not give law enforcement a license to kill.
I hope that after reading this post there should be little to no doubt as to why black people in America have serious, deep, and historic concerns about their ability to be protected from the police. In my next post we will explore what our leaders are doing to address these issues.