One Young Man's Experience With Racial Profiling

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Sun Dec 18, 2011 at 08:20:00 AM EST
Tags: racial profiling (all tags)

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Nicholas Pert is about to graduate from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He's also been stopped, frisked and searched more than five time. He relates his account in a New York Times Op-Ed today. He's also going to be a witness for the Center of Constitutional Rights in its lawsuit seeking to prevent the NYPD from making racially motivated stops.

For young people in my neighborhood, getting stopped and frisked is a rite of passage. We expect the police to jump us at any moment. We know the rules: don’t run and don’t try to explain, because speaking up for yourself might get you arrested or worse. And we all feel the same way — degraded, harassed, violated and criminalized because we’re black or Latino. Have I been stopped more than the average young black person? I don’t know, but I look like a zillion other people on the street. And we’re all just trying to live our lives.

As to why he decided to testify: [More...]

I have talked to dozens of young people who have had experiences like mine. And I know firsthand how much it messes with you. Because of them, I’m doing what I can to help change things.

Nicholas recounts the advice his mother gave him at 14:

WHEN I was 14, my mother told me not to panic if a police officer stopped me. And she cautioned me to carry ID and never run away from the police or I could be shot.

I also began instructing my son at age 14 as to how to react when stopped by a cop. My intent was that he know never to consent to a search, even if he had nothing to hide. (It doesn't stop cops from planting evidence and you never know what your passengers might have on them or have left behind in the car you're riding in.) I told him, if a cop ever asks him to waive his rights and make a statement or agree to a search of his person or car, he should say, very politely, "I'm sorry, sir, but I only waive the flag." And then he should ask, "Am I free to leave?" I told him that the cop would probably beat the sh*t out of him for being a smart-as*, and take him directly to jail, but at least he'd know he stood up for himself and his rights.

Like Nicholas Pert didn't forget his mother's advice, my son never forgot mine. He included it on his essay to get into college as one of the most defining moments of his