Conversation

I am white, and was raised in small mostly white communities when I was young, but moved to a larger city as a young teenager. Like a lot of white kids, I didn't understand how much of a thing casual everyday racism was, until I met my future best friend Cameron. I'd never been pulled over by the cops before, and now suddenly I was getting pulled over frequently, for no reason at all, the only difference was now there was a black man in the car. I remember the first time getting pulled over, and the cop asking for all of our ID's with no explanation at all, Cam saw me about to mouth off, and the look of terror on his face made me shut up immediately. Later, he told me when it happened again to just comply, don't ask questions, don't get angry. I had never had to view cops with fear before, in my mind, you only needed to be afraid if you were a criminal, but Cam was afraid, just for existing as black. If people try to tell you that black people are dramatizing their struggle, they are lying!