Existing While Black

Jo Etta M. Harris was nursing her child in her car before a family outing. Gil Perkins was talking on the phone outside of his home. Kelly Shepard’s boys were shopping for video games. And in each instance, someone saw them as suspicious or a threat and called the police.

This isn’t new. It happens every day. The experiences of Harris, Perkins, Shepard – and so many others – are reminders that black people don't have the privilege to simply exist in peace.

Whether we’ve been pulled over and mistaken for a suspect, followed in stores or disrupted in our own homes and neighborhoods, many of us have had to go above and beyond to prove that we have the right to occupy common spaces. Many of us have had to prove that we are not criminal, knowing that failing to do so could be fatal. The families of Tamir Rice and John Crawford III know that firsthand.

These aren’t exaggerated situations, but real-life injustices that black people in the United States and beyond have to deal with. Stories of white people using 911 as their personal concierge hotline against black people have dominated the mainstream news this year. These stories are by no means new. And despite the danger these situations put us in, the white people making these calls rarely face repercussions.

A HuffPost/YouGov poll found that 15 percent of black Americans surveyed said they “have had the police called on them because of their race” more than once, compared to five percent of white Americans. Fifty-four percent of black Americans expressed that they’ve felt that “others have been suspicious of them based on the color of their skin,” while only 6 percent of white people said they have felt this way. These results aren’t a surprise considering that black people made up 24 percent of all police killings in 2015, despite comprising only 13 percent of the population, according to figures from The Washington Post.

HuffPost asked black readers to share their stories of being subjected to racial profiling and discrimination. They described moments when someone called the police on them for no apparent reason aside from their race. They recalled scenarios of cops stopping and searching them because their skin color made them look “suspicious.” They also said how maddening it is to live with the constant anxiety of possibly having their presence — and innocence — questioned.

Below, you will find their stories. Due to how deeply racism is woven into society’s DNA, this list is by no means comprehensive. Yet it is a small collection of real anecdotes that underscores the unjust policing of black bodies, according to readers. HuffPost will continue to update this list and highlight the constant burden we face. If you have a story of living while black, tell us. This issue deserves more attention than a few headlines in the news cycle.

EXPLORE THE STORIES OF EXISTING WHILE BLACK: http://ow.ly/RuAN30mNekF

SOURCE: http://ow.ly/RuAN30mNekF