racial profiling | Manhood, Race, and Culture

There comes a moment when one has to call “a spade, a spade.” I doubt that it’s possible to find a single African-American man who has a personal story that relates the tenuous nature and unsettled feelings that seem to naturally flow from interaction with law enforcement officers. Every Black man that I know of can inform you of the moment that they came to the realization that the one life that they spent decades developing can be snatched away at a moment’s notice by a rogue law enforcement officer due to no fault of their own.

This unfortunate reality was reiterated yet again by the experience of Dr. Armen Henderson this past week. Dr. Henderson, a medical doctor whose service to the homeless community in Miami, Florida, during the global pandemic was feted by the Miami Herald newspaper has made national news as a result of it being his turn to be in the wrong place, this time it happens to be in front of his house, at the wrong time. Dr. Henderson’s character is best reflected in his taking charge of much of the Coronavirus testing of the homeless in this uncertain time.

If they are being truthful, most Blacks, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status, can tell you that they understand that their life can be ended due to circumstances far beyond their control. For Dr. Henderson, the context was his loading of makeshift tents that he intended for the homeless. This good nearly cost him his freedom, if not his life.

Dr. Armen Henderson was in front of his home loading up his vehicle with supplies to continue his outreach efforts for the less fortunate in his community when IT occurred. The IT that I refer to is an unwanted and unnecessary conflict with a police officer. A video camera captured the officer’s arrival and a subsequent brief discussion between the law enforcement officer and Dr. Henderson. Video footage also captured the officer placing the famed medical doctor in handcuffs for no apparent reason. In a scene that reminds one of the fugitive slave laws of yesteryear, Dr. Henderson screamed for his wife’s assistance. Fortunately, she was aware enough to rush outside with identification confirming that this harassment was occurring in front of their residence. It is deplorably that this pillar of the community was not released until the officer reviewed the identification in a manner that reminds me of the deplorable antics of slave catchers reviewing manumission papers that identified persons of African descent as free men or women. As expected, Miami’s Chief of police, Jorge Colina, backed his officer’s actions and attempted to explain away the issue as a misunderstanding that flowed from the officer investigating repeated complaints of illegal dumping.

As mentioned above, there comes a time when we must call “a spade, a spade.” For African-Americans who did not already realize that they must be on high-alert every moment of the day, even inside the comfy confines of their homes, this is yet another lesson that you are always only a moment away from a contentious conflict with a rogue element of some law enforcement agency that has convinced themselves that they have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner of any Black person they encounter.

If nothing else, the historical record indicates that we must each understand that we are only a single interaction from having our life and the lives of those that we love permanently disrupted by the unwise decisions of a bigoted officer “following procedures.” Such a context mandates that African-Americans pledge to be careful out there today, tomorrow, and forever because your life is the best thing that you have going for you. Survive conflict with rogue officers and anyone else seeking to harm you “by any means necessary.”

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.

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It would be both disingenuous and dishonest to state that young African-American males enter this world on the same footing as their counterparts of any other racial or ethnic group. According to many medical studies, African-American children are born with natural abilities such as being able to hold up their heads, sitting up, and focusing on objects that others are incapable of achieving. So, Black males enter this world further developed than all of their male counterparts.

I do not need to tell you that other studies monitoring the development of Black males throughout their lifetimes reveal that they are by-passed by their male counterparts in every way imaginable. In many ways it is startling that a populace that entered this world at the forefront of development ends last in the race of life. The most reasonable question that one could ask about this matter is a singular-word of “Why?”

Although the above question is brief, an accurate answer require volumes. No one should doubt that so much happens to Black males during their lifetimes.

This understanding of the maddening twists-and-turns that occur in the lives of African-American males informs my bemused look regarding an incident at a Walmart in Wood River (Il.). Apparently a White police officer was filmed harassing two Black males, Jermon Best and Diangelo Jackson, for entering the shopping establishment while wearing protective masks.

Much of the haranguing has occurred regarding two points: (a) if the wearing of protective masks were against Walmart’s policy as the officer cited, it actually isn’t, and (b) if this were an occurrence of racial profiling. I refuse to equivocate on such silly matters and will dedicate this space to an ancillary issue that I term the grind of being a Black male in America.

Although rarely commented on, Black male lives vacillate between a frustrating cycle of “micro-aggressions” and major incidents of racial bigotry and institutionalized racism. Racial matters hover over Black males like unpredictable clouds who seem to block the Sun’s radiant light according to their own whimsical nature. Every Black male understands that neither a formidable socioeconomic status or professional accomplishments protect them from the unpredictable winds of racial bigotry and the torrential storms of institutionalized racism. The incident at the Wood River Walmart testifies to such.

Let’s be clear regarding what occurred. The unnamed officer made the decision to harass Best and Jackson based solely on their physical appearance. History proves that the most assured activating agent to White prejudice and bigotry is the presence of Black males. We cannot forget that the seeds of racial bigotry occurs via an American socialization process distributed via school curriculum, television, movies, life experiences, and kitchen tables.

Not even my most fervent desire to escape this damning truth has paved a path for me to consider the police officer at the center of this storm as an outlier. Unfortunately, he is a fairly typical representative of this nation’s most plentiful creation. At their best, Americans leave the impression that there is little hope that the ill-fitting concept of racism will ever reduce beyond gentlemanly political correctness. Despite what most would like to think, the absence of blatant uncouth racial bigotry is not the same as the presence of racial equality and/or justice for the darker brother/sister.

The revelation that the absence of blatant uncouth racial bigotry spewed into the public sphere by our countrymen does not signal the presence of racial equality and/or justice would be a great starting point for a riveting discussion regarding what is wrong with young Black males. Yet, this is a difficult discussion for the entire nation as it would invariably place much of the responsibility for the plight of Black males at the feet of each of us. One thing is for certain, the collective ignoring of this matter will not lessen its impact on Black males and the nation. It will simply grow worse as time goes along like an unchecked virus. And as we all know, an unchecked virus is a very dangerous thing.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

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Committed to investigating, examining, and representing the African-American male, men, and manhood by offering commentary regarding the status of Black Men and Black Manhood as it relates to African-American Manhood, Race, Class, Politics, and Culture from an educated and authentic African-American perspective aimed at improving the plight of African-American men and African-American Manhood in regards to Politics, Culture, Education, and Social Matters.

Manhood, Race, and Culture

Tag Archives: racial profiling

I Guess That We All Get A Turn: The Unfortunate Saga of Dr. Armen Henderson and What It Means About the Relationship of Black Men to White Police Officer’s (We’ve Seen This Many Times Before)

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Why The Confrontation at the Wood River (Il) Walmart is Yet Another Example of the Grind of Being a Black Male in America

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