Allow me to recommend this Black Lives Matter hoodie. It's warm and comfortable.
It also makes an important anti-racist message of solidarity. I was wearing it during the blizzard tonight when my car broke down and I needed police assistance.
A lot of things went through my mind as I sat in my car and waited for police to arrive. What kind of reception would this hoodie get? What if the responding officer had a chip on his shoulder and took offense at its "anti-police" message?
Theater of the mind suggested all sorts of outcomes. Maybe there'd be an unpleasant conversation. Given the scope of officer discretion, maybe there would be charges. Failure to maintain vehicle, careless driving, who knows?
"Great night to wear this hoodie," I thought.
Police showed up. The officer on the scene was a consummate professional. Friendly, helpful, stayed with me until the tow came. He never said boo about the hoodie, although he did ask what the bumper sticker with the equals sign ( = ) was for.
"Marriage equality," I said. (I'm all in as a liberal.)
Is there a point to this story? Yes. Tonight was a night I needed police assistance, and I called for it. If I was a little nervous about what would happen, I'm fortunate enough to know that those nerves are a matter of projection and not rooted in personal experience.
But those nerves were a product of wearing a BLM hoodie and choosing to identify with the black victims of police violence and oppression. I wouldn't have been nervous at all if the hoodie had featured a picture of Tom Baker and said "You always remember your first Doctor."
Tonight I got not a taste, nor a sample, but maybe a shadow of what it's like to be a black motorist. I'd guess most black experiences with police go without incident too, beyond the initial stop and dreaded wait as the cop walks to the window.
Most, that is. But not all.
Too many of those encounters, and disproportionately far more than with white motorists, end in violence or even death.
Jonathan Ferrell was shot and killed by police after his car broke down and he asked for help. Sandra Fluke was pulled over, removed from her car and incarcerated. She was found, hanged in her cell. days later. Walter Scott was shot in the back when he ran from police over a traffic stop. Philando Castille was shot to death in his car while complying with police instructions.
Do I need to go on?
I hated feeling that shadow tonight, but at least I can always wear something different when I go out in the cold.
Black motorists can't change their skin.
I'm not changing that hoodie either.
