The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Tyrone Aiken,
Kansas City, MO
I am in Kansas City, from New York thinking about my parents great migration from South Carolina. Knowing where I am informed who I am and how I am perceived in the world. Driving while black, being followed in a store, won’t rent me an apartment in this neighborhood. Learning at an early age not to react, wishing to sometimes be carefree, and knowing my guard is always up.
Deb Vaughn,
Gaithersburg, MD.
I can drive around with anything in my car and never get a traffic stop. If I were a Person of Color, that would not be the case. My parents never had to have “the talk” with me…
Andre Conway,
Beachwood, OH.
I am an 18 year old`African American man. Even though I am happy about being black, at the same time I am terrified of getting pulled over because of who I am. All the killings that are going on in our country just by police officers are crazy. Black people are losing their lives by just getting pulled over. That is not cool at all and that hurts because one of those people could’ve been someone I knew or even me. And I find that really messed up that I have to worry about not making it during the day just because I’m driving a car while black.
David Nesbit,
Dover, DE.
I’m conflicted because I see everyday what happens to people who look like me but at the same time I depend on these folks who, in general, are responsible for me driving home in uniform and keeping my county work ID on me just to have the respect that I deserve. It’s like I have to make sure that it’s known that I have a job so I can drive around and get to where I’m going without getting pulled over for DWB and make it home without getting assaulted by them… see conflicted!
Prudence Runyan,
Philadelphia, PA.
In the late 90s a colleague and I needed to go about 90 miles away to a client meeting. We each took our own cars, as it was the weekend and we were heading off in separate directions after the meeting. He planned to follow me, as he hadn’t been there before. He told me, “Don’t speed”. I replied, “Don’t be silly Brian, everybody speeds on the NJ Turnpike.” “Not me”, he replied. “I will get arrested for ‘Driving While Black'”. That’s the first time I had heard the term. I didn’t know what to say. As we made our way north to Seacaucus I saw that what he said was true. Nearly every person the police had pulled over was dark skinned.
Arnie Gundersen
Burlington, VT
I am white, teaching in the “whitest” state in the Union. Yet Burlington has a huge immigrant and black community. While driving, my students were frequently pulled over by police throughout the state and in other states. They had a term for it – “Driving While Black:!
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