THE PERSONAL SIDE OF BIAS, PREJUICE, AND OPPRESSION

The incident I would like to share with my colleagues on “Prejudice” which was witness by my cousin and me. I drove her to Walgreens to pick up her meds, and as I begin to park the truck I notice her 2 sons and 3 of their friends entering the store. The boys weren’t a where of us being in the store. Their mom was at the counter and I was sitting near the pharmacy waiting on her. Lisa (I will refer to my cousin as Lisa).

Lisa so, happen to look – up in the mirror above the ceiling and saw this White officer following the boys from isle to isle. Lisa text my cell as said, “Girl look I don’t believe this”. So, the boys still have notice us in Walgreens as of yet. The boys went down the chips isle first and then the candy isle and now begin to look at some pops. These boys still didn’t notice the officer. As the officer was following the boys, we followed the officer to see if, he was going to approach hers children and their friends.

 Lisa goes back to the pharmacy to grab the meds while, I continue to keep my eyes on what’s going on. In my eye sight the officer was targeting 5 African American young boys, and not to mention he did not once take his eyes of these boys. One of her sons decides to purchase cookies and candy, and the others didn’t buy anything. Lisa yelled out to her younger son, “Do not buy anything out of this Walgreen’s “! The officer finally said, to the other 4 boys if, you are not purchasing anything you need to leave the store.”

 Lisa calls out to her other son and tells him and his friends to come here”. Lisa explains first to the officer that while, she was waiting on her meds, he had been following them since they arrived in the store as though were, the only Blacks in the store. Lisa went on to tell this officer “All Black’s do not steal” and also, she begin to recite what, out parents and grandparents taught us to the officer which, was “Train up a child in the way he should go; and he is old he will never depart from it.”

I could not believe this, the officer replied so quickly, since “I’ve been working here at Walgreens, all I’ve seen is “Black children and their parents and older people coming in here taking what’s not there’s.” Lisa told the office my boys will never come back into this store due you have “Racial Profile” her boys. I truly believe if; I didn’t take Lisa to Walgreens this officer would have attempted to arrest these boys. Black males are being arrest everyday here in Chicago for crimes they haven’t committed but, it’s said, “we have a justice system and we are all created equal, and to be honest I still say “No are not created as an equal”. This last statement is only my opinion.