police officer Archives - The Race Card Project

Because of my badge, I’m racist?

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 badge, Bennington, cop, Justin Walker, police officer, pulled over, Racist, stereotype, VT

Justin Walker,
Bennington, VT.

As a police officer I quite often get the “you only stopped me because I’m black” or some variant of that excuse. Well I work the nightshift and it is impossible for me to to who I’m pulling over until I get to the car. Until I get to the car window I don’t know who they are, black, white, purple, pink or yellow. All I know is I’ve stopped this car for going 75 in a 55 mph zone. I know this is a simple interaction and there are many other potential situations that occur, but this is what I feel is a misconception among many people. I can speak for many other officers when I say we are simply trying to do a job. Believe it or not, we are not all bad people.

I’m not mad, I’m just exhausted.

June 6, 2021June 7, 2021 angry, East Orange, exhausted, Julian Smith, mad, NJ, oppression, police officer, threat

Julian Smith,
East Orange, NJ.

When I hear a story about a black person that posed no threat being killed by a white police officer I no longer get angry I just sigh and think about how some people think a 50 year document changed over 300 years of oppression.

Just because my husband is white.

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 Ferguson Police Officer Wife, husband, MO, O'Fallon, peace, police officer, protest, whife, white, wife

Ferguson Police Officer Wife,
O’Fallon, MO.

Just because he is a white police officer, doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. He grew up in this community and has just as much of a right to work here as anyone else. I should not have to worry myself sick if he will come home every night. Protest peacefully!

White police officers frighten me.

November 24, 2014November 25, 2014 Erin Jones, fear, frighten, Landover, MD, police officer, white

Erin Jones,
Landover, MD.

Get back with the other monkeys!

July 8, 2014January 18, 2016 arrested, High School, KY, Martin Luther King, MLK, monkey, OH, police officer, Randall E. Dalton, restroom, Somerset

Randall E. Dalton, MD
Somerset, KY

Above is the comment of a white Cincinnati, Ohio police officer when I left the ranks of a “sit-in” in a public high school, in the aftermath ot the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, to go to the restroom — I was subsequently arrested.

It made my very existence possible.

April 21, 2014 Brooklyn, Family, Jum Crow, Karen Palmer, New York City, NY, parents, police officer, teachers

Karen Palmer
New York City, NY
Brooklyn

I am the child of two teachers, the grandchild of a police officer, a seamstress and two farmers, all African-American and alive during the Jim Crow era. I could never have become a college graduate, world traveler, journalist and school founder without their many sacrifices and the example they set for me.

He couldn’t get away with this

November 16, 2012March 5, 2013 Black, Brooklyn Park, bus driver, get away, justified, MN, police officer, Tracy Audette, upper class, white

Tracy Audette
Brooklyn Park, MN

My awareness as our son’s bus driver (black male) watched me (upper-middle class white woman) chew out a police officer (white male) in the parking lot of our school. Long story. It was justified!

Stop blaming whites. Stop committing crimes.

March 31, 2012 black people, blacks, blame, crimes, Latino, NPR, police officer, respect, stop, Talk of the Nation, Uncle Tom

Gary
Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation

As a police officer most black people talk to me like they want to fight before I even talk to them. They know nothing about me. My Latino partner is always called Uncle Tom. I give respect when I get respect. Why do so many blacks hate me because I’m white? It’s the same question many black people ask, but it won’t be fixed by only blaming whites.

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