UNEQUAL JUSTICE Survey Data

26

02138

“Reflection on Encountering Karens in Harvard Square”

I am African-American and a male.  It is important in the telling of this experience.  I was standing in line to withdraw money out of the Baybank ATM machine.  The white woman in front of me completed her business, left the teller, then I stepped up to complete my transaction.

While I was in the middle of trying to figure out the screen, since it was not on the the usual start up screen, the woman ran up to me and demanded that I step away from the ATM.  I told her “No, it’s not your turn anymore.  You left the machine and now it’s my turn.”   She said she had a problem with the machine.  I suggested that she go to the customer service desk in the bank.  She responded:  I just need you to leave the machine!   I told her “no”  you leave the machine and stop trying to cut in front of me…she stormed off and left me wondering what that was all about.

I noticed that nobody in the other lines (there were adjacent ATMs) offered to help either her or me.  I noticed that she seemed entitled to tell me to get the hell out of the way.  Perhaps if she had told me that she felt that she hadn’t closed out her account or something, I would have responded differently.   I do know that several interactions that I had around Harvard Square involved white people who felt empowered to encroach on my space or demand that I yield to them.

I was from southern California and we, in general, did not talk to each other in public the way she approached me.  This was shocking and left me wondering what would have been her approach if I were white or a female….

24

77040

“Childhood Memories of How My Parents Overcame Deliberate Efforts By Whites to Avoid Having Black Families Buy Homes in Their Suburban Neighborhoods”

I think recent media reports have made people more aware of the practice by some property appraisers (subconsciously or not) of lowering the value of a home when the owner/seller is known to be Black – but, in the past, there was also a tactic of deliberately *increasing* the price of a home when the attempted buyer was known to be Black.  The context of this incident was the late 1970s in Texas (specifically, the Houston metropolitan area).  Racial covenants (i.e., contract provisions or deed restrictions that explicitly prohibited the sale of residences to Black people) had been outlawed since 1948…but that did not stop the desire of many Whites in Texas to avoid having Black neighbors.

Some of the following details from this post may be imprecise because I was in 6^th grade around the time of this event in the late 1970s – and, also unfortunately, both of my parents have passed away in recent years – so I do not have specific dates and/or specific names of the people involved.  At the time, my father was a young physician in his early 30s, having graduated from medical school and completed his residency only a few years prior.  As one of the relatively small number of Black physicians in the Houston area in the 1970s, his medical practice attracted a large number of patients who liked the idea of finally having a private doctor who looked like them, especially in a professional office that was not a general clinic or a hospital emergency room.  So, as I was about to enter middle school, his medical practice had expanded enough for us FINALLY to move from an apartment to what we hoped would be our family’s very first house.

I vividly remember riding with my parents on Sunday afternoons after church to look at homes around the Houston area.  It did not strike me until now (composing this post) that those would be the times when our family would be dressed our best, just in case my parents wanted to step into a house with a “For Sale” sign, or perhaps chat with the sales rep of a residential subdivision.  Anyway, after enough searching, my parents found a nice, two-story house that we all liked in a newly-created subdivision located on the edge of Houston.  What I did not learn until later was that there had been some serious effort to keep our family from becoming the first Black family in the neighborhood.  Dozens of homes had already been completed and occupied – and the land footprint was open for the developer to construct dozens more.  Indeed (perhaps to reveal the ending of this story), I have memories of playing baseball with neighborhood kids in one of the undeveloped vacant lots.  Essentially, after my parents decided that the asking price was within their budget and made a bid on the home, the property developer suddenly raised the price approximately 10% higher than the prior asking price.  The blatant attempt to discourage my family did not, in fact, deter us, as my father still offered to pay the increased price.

I do not know the particulars of how this pricing discrimination came to the attention of the government (either HUD or the Department of Justice), but my understanding is that (1) my parents were either allowed to pay the original price or reimbursed for the price differential, and (2) the property developer agreed to a sanction of being unable to advertise publicly for a period of time (i.e., only word of mouth to try to sell the new houses without the benefit of any newspaper, radio, or TV ads).  My parents were not the types to want to get involved in a high-publicity lawsuit, so all aspects of this settlement remained under the radar – and unfortunately we may never have data on how often this type of thing happened to other Black families.

We lived there only a few years before moving to a more prestigious neighborhood for our second house, notably aided by selling that first house for a profit – which is a profit margin that would have been much lower without the reimbursement for the discriminatory practice.  The developer’s attempt to deny equal access to high-quality housing (i.e., owning real estate as one of the most common investment vehicles for retaining/increasing inter-generational wealth) reflects a blight in our nation’s history, yet at the same time remains a proud memory of my parents for overcoming that barrier.

23

78701

“How to Distinguish Social Awkwardness from Microagressions in a Law Firm Workplace?”

I suppose this would fall under the category of “microaggressions” in the workplace.  I am a lawyer in Texas, having earned my law degree many years ago from the main campus of the University of Texas in Austin.  I had a bachelor’s degree from a different, prominent college before getting a full-tuition scholarship for the law school.  It is worth noting that I am African-American, although I do not think I have any accents or speech patterns that might be deemed stereotypically “Black,” whatever that means.

To make spare money during law school, I worked several months as a part-time clerk for one of the top-tier law firms in Austin, Texas.  I vividly remember that one of the law firm’s middle-aged White partners had a habit of peppering the word “man” into literally EVERY conversation with me, such as “How you doing, man?” or “I have a project for you, man.”  He seemed like a nice guy, but I noticed that he never addressed any of the White law clerks as “man” – so this lingo was reserved only for me.  Honestly, I have no problem with people using informal language with me if that’s how they normally speak, but it was very noticeable that this older White lawyer decided to use a different speaking pattern when dealing with the firm’s only African-American law clerk.

On another occasion, a different White partner offered to have me tag along to a meeting with a prominent African-American client of the firm.  I did not feel offended by that event, because that client was somewhat of a celebrity whom I truly enjoyed meeting at the celebrity’s home — and I appreciated the unique opportunity.  However, I remain unsure whether that partner’s intent was to benefit me by meeting a well-respected celebrity, versus simply using me as a prop so that the partner could demonstrate to the African-American client that the firm had hired an African-American clerk.

I did not apply for a permanent position at that firm after law school, but, to be fair, only the first White lawyer “talked down” to me, while all of the other White lawyers seemed to interact with me like they might do with any other clerk.  Nevertheless, those incidents did leave some doubts in my mind as to whether I would have been given the best opportunities to succeed within the firm’s culture where no other African-American attorneys were on the staff.

20

98406

“DWB:  Guilty Until Proven Innocent“

While driving home, after seeing a movie with a coworker, I was pulled over by a Tacoma Police officer. As he approached my vehicle, he shined his bright flashlight in my eyes and asked for my license, insurance and registration. I greeted the officer, then politely asked, why I was stopped? He again asked for the documentation without responding to my question. As I opened the glove compartment, to retrieve the requested paperwork, I noticed that he unholstered his weapon; thus I immediately placed both hands slowly on the roof and in plain view. I then advised him of the location of the paperwork he requested and of my desire not to be shot or become the next Rodney King! He observed that I was wearing a pager and asked if I was a drug dealer? “No”, I replied… I’m a public servant (though I was offended & upset by this bold, unfair, racist assumption, I remained calm & courteous). Only then did he holster his weapon & again ask for my paperwork, which I promptly provided. He went to his patrol car, and returned moments later with my paperwork. I was ordered to exit the vehicle and did so. He questioned me regarding possession of drugs, weapons or firearms, I had none! After the Q & A, (question and answer) I was pat searched. Again, I inquired-“Why was I stopped?” He then asked for permission to search my vehicle, without answering my question. I said, “No sir, you may not search my vehicle.” He mumbled into his radio & 25 or 30 minutes later, a K-9 officer arrived on scene. The K-9 & his handler made several trips around my vehicle before playing Tug-of-War…as the handler repeatedly said “Good Boy” to his K-9. No alert, he’s good to go, he yelled to the TPD officer, do you need anything else? No, he replied. I then said. “Thank you sir, it’s been a while.” The K-9 officer looked my direction, then approached and shook my hand, (he frequently conducts K-9 training with our agency). The other officer seemed visibly shocked by the positive interaction between myself & the K-9 officer. No explanation or reason for the initial stop/being detained was ever provided to me by the TPD (Tacoma Police Department) Officer- He simply turned off his lights and left the area soon after the K-9 officer departed; therefore I assumed at that time…I was free to leave & be on my way. Yes, I was racially profiled, Yes, my complaint to the Tacoma Police Department fell on deaf ears (I did follow up & voice my displeasure and concerns, including discussion about this matter with the Police Chief), Yes, my rights were violated (No probable cause for the Stop or Search), and all for simply “Driving while Black”! We’ve come a long way since the “Jim Crow” laws, the necessity of the “Green Book” when traveling, & the Civil Rights Movement began…however the journey is far from over!  Community Policing is supposed to be unbiased, it’s not supposed to be racist, or mobile harassment poorly disguised as “law enforcement”; Sadly there are still two radically different Justice Systems in America & people of color continue to be stereotyped, racially profiled, marginalized, & wrongfully considered Guilty until proven Innocent.

19

32324

17

32744

“Outright Racism Towards Black Man Speaking Up at Town Hall Meeting”

I, a white woman, went to a Lake Helen town hall meeting in 1981 after just moving to the area.  At the town hall meeting a black man spoke up to say that the only park that the city was not mowing was the one that is in the area where black people lived. A Lake Helen commission member became angry and said that it was because they kept the park a mess. I was shocked. I lived in New England and had not seen outright racism like that at any meetings or in any place I had worked. I don’t remember the outcome.  I found out I did not live in the city, but across the street from city limits.  I was in the county so I did not attend any more Lake Helen meetings.

16

32720

“We Don’t Hire Them“

A black man with a business degree from Stetson University applied for a manager trainee position at Payless Shoes store.  After the applicant left the store, the manager tore up the application and told my husband, a white manager trainee, that “we don’t hire them.”   When my husband came home and told me about this incident, we were both in shock at how open the manager was about discriminating against a black applicant who was probably overqualified for that position.  We had just moved to DeLand in the late 1970s and had not experienced that type of blatant racism where we grew up in Washington and Massachusetts.

13

15221

“Companies That Only Care On Paper…Do Not Care!”

Positive outcomes in terms of job reorganizations and promotion advances can often be denied on vague grounds. A company that is committed to diversity and equitable opportunities for all must question such denials.  Notwithstanding written commitments, I am convinced that many companies are not monitoring whether their managers are as bound by the company commitment as the wording of the commitment demands.  In my company, a new general counsel decided to open all legal management positions for bid. At that time, I was the only black manager. Of course, I bid for a management position. I presented with considerable work experience not only with the company but with a large national law firm and a vice presidency with a local bank.  I had significant board leadership experience and community involvement.  I held a degree from an Ivy League law school (one of the top 5 law schools in the country) and had worked as a manager with the company for a number of years.  Bottom line, I was booted from the management position, and an all-white team was selected.  Interestingly, a white male who reported to me was promoted to a management position. That person had not managed previously and had limited leadership experience.

Now, one can often cite many plausible reasons for a demotion particularly amid a reorganization, but I was given the reason that the white male had presented with a “plan for the department” and could not be denied. I was not told that I was deficient but that another – a white male – had to be accommodated. Later I learned that there was some maneuvering to fit another into a management position. So in one fell swoop, the company lost its only black manager due to a department head who made unchecked choices (and frankly, I do not believe that the manager thought a diverse team important).  Of course, I agree that credentials matter.  If one poses the credentials argument, however, my resume would have rose above any other candidate’s resume – if the name, gender and race had been removed from the resumes.

I advocate that it is one thing for a company to have a diversity statement or commitment, but it is another for the company to have a process of holding managers accountable and to be active in reviews of hiring and promotion decisions.  It is not enough to review the specific outcome and the general data and then say “oops” and restate the commitment.  In my company, it was business as usual. Companies that only care on paper do not care at all.

One might wonder what happened after the demotion. I continued to work at the company. I continued to work based upon financial factors as I moved towards a desired retirement. I was not going to be denied a position and also lose the financial gain in staying a few more years with a company in which I had grandfathered vested benefits.  I was going to lose one thing, but not all things.  While a higher salary would have been welcomed, I made the best decision for the long term. Eventually, the head of the department left the company within the year, and another manager gave me a promotion and “staying bonus” to manage and train certain lawyers to assume my duties when I retired.  That promotion and bonus while appreciated did not assuage the sting of my experience.  I hope that my experience is unique, but sadly I suspect that it is not unique. Again, companies that only care on paper do not care!

11

32738

8

32724

“Unequal Impacts of Heightened Law Enforcement Operations”

In the past few months, several close family members—my son, my husband and my elderly mother—have been subjected to police stops when traveling around the Dunn’s Bottom and Spring Hill neighborhoods in DeLand, FL.  During these stops, my family members have received a total of three tickets and a warning for their alleged failures to stop at so called ‘stop-lines’/’stop bars’.  A Volusia sheriff deputy issued two of those tickets to my son during the same stop while my son was visiting for Thanksgiving from another state.  A few weeks ago, a DeLand police officer issued one ticket to my husband while he was traveling home from work late at night through Dunn’s Bottom toward Spring Hill.  And on a recent Sunday morning, a DeLand police officer issued a warning to my Mom while she was traveling from Dunn’s Bottom to her church in Spring Hill.  I believe my son was unfairly targeted because he was driving a shiny new truck and my Mom was also targeted because she was driving a shiny luxury car.  Both have worked hard and saved to afford the vehicles they were driving.

To defend my family against these tickets, I have had to hire legal counsel and we as a family have had to spend time and money to defend against what I believe was unequal enforcement of the traffic laws.  While talking to my son’s lawyer before the traffic court hearing, the Volusia sheriff deputy tried to explain that he had issued the two tickets during a 10-day heightened enforcement action which resulted in nearly 2,000 traffic stops in the Dunn’s Bottom area.  Whatever the justification for such heightened enforcement, I don’t believe it is fair for citizens of Dunn’s Bottom and Spring Hill to be treated so differently than residents of Victoria Hills, Long Leaf Plantation, Hontoon Island and other upper class and predominantly white neighborhoods.

7

32720

“The Room”

I entered into the room humble but confident in my expertise; I have lived through many of the things I now advocate for.

I was a drug addicted, felon who lost full custody of my children and living with a chronic, incurable and complex disease.  I picked myself up from all my misery and became! I worked for the government with a security clearance; was close to retirement and………………..

One day I went into “the room” I was the first Black Woman or person, that was the head that “the room” had entertained. I was not afforded the same treatment as my white counterparts.  I was scorned, humiliated, dehumanized and made to feel unworthy.  Year after year, I sat through the comments of the intrinsically superior members of “the room”.  When others were being rewarded in complements and revenue, I was being mocked and ridiculed.  I was treated with contempt. I became a victim!

I lost my power, lacking vitality or spirit.  I dreaded each month, going into “the room” for these meetings. In my hurt, I felt their rage. Two things I will never forget, their words “Who does she think she is” and “We’ re from the Good Old Boys Club” Yet I stayed there; I did not run; I did not falter.  Like a good n********; I suited up and showed up. But by the Grace of God, I endured.

I still go into “the room” I could not serve the people I serve, those who are going through addiction, diseased and hopeless. I stay because the persecution does not outweigh the good that can be done for the community. The culture appears to be changing and I know all too well to believe none of what I hear, and half of what I see.

I wonder “the fiery furnace” and “The room”; any connection?

4

32312

“Importance of Being An Educated Health Care Consumer“

As a health care provider you come in contact and see events that will challenge you to the core. I have been judged as less qualified on multiple occasions simply based on skin color. My main concern is not me, but the health care disparity of patients based on things like skin color, religion, gender and other superficial biases that limit or effect health care outcomes. Patients and family must understand the importance of being an educated consumer.

3

32141

“Reflection on Driving While Black“

While in college and traveling on I-95 from visiting relatives in Miami back to DeLand, my hometown, I was stopped by Volusia County Sheriff Office deputies near my exit to SR 44 for reasons never explained. All of the deputies were white and I was a young black man traveling alone with the flow of traffic that included other white drivers who did not get pulled over.

I felt like the stop was unequal and unjust, but I had no way of knowing what exactly motivated the stop.

The VCSO deputies requested my permission to search my trunk, which I refused because I was tired and ready to get home after 4+ hours on the road and with my trunk full of personal items and gifts for me and other relatives in DeLand.  The deputies first displayed surprise, then annoyance and eventually agitation at my repeated refusals of their repeated request to search my trunk.  From their expressions it seemed like they were used to getting quick approval from other drivers.

I was eventually allowed to get back on the highway and travel to few remaining miles to DeLand not (I don’t believe) because these deputies had a change of heart.  Instead, I believe that they had a change of mind about the cost/benefit of further disrupting my trip and my day after I dropped the name of a well respected black VCSO deputy who attended the same church as my Mom in DeLand.  Almost immediately after I mentioned that name, they decided that they didn’t need to search my trunk and I was allowed to proceed without any warning or ticket.

At the time of this incident, I didn’t have any legal training, just to wisdom of ‘The Talks’ that I had from my parents, uncles and aunts and other elders in my village who shared with me their experiences and observations about unequal treatment of blacks during their childhoods.   They had also shared with me the wisdom that sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know, which I applied to get home safely from this potentially deadly situation of responding “no” to these requests for a search even where I now know there was no probable cause nor even reasonable suspicion to justify it.  This all happened a long time ago, but the suspicion that it all occurred solely because I was driving while black remains.  That suspicion was mostly validated when newspapers later exposed that then VCSO Sheriff Bob Vogel for engaging in exactly this type of racial profiling in stopping persons of color along this particular stretch of I-95.