Today, I cried a million tears, not because I nor anyone I knew was physically hurt. It was because I was emotionally damaged from the prejudice of a Palm Beach County Sheriff patrol, R. Mitchell. My husband and I were driving down Westgate Ave on our way to get breakfast. Suddenly lights flashed on a silver Dodge Charger. We pulled over wondering what the problem was; we wasn’t speeding and the light was green. “What’s going on ran thought our minds?” The officer walked up to the car with his hand on his gun and asked for both license and insurance. I couldn’t believe that he asked for my license I wasn’t driving plus I didn’t have my license on me, I had lost it the day before. I asked the officer “what going on” and he replied he was giving both me and my husband a $116 ticket for failure to wear seat beat. This amazed me because my seat belt was on and had been on the whole time. At that point, I become very upset and I told the officer I am wearing a seat belt. Instead he insisted on me giving him my ID. I felt like a common criminal. I couldn’t comprehend why this officer would be so rude to me. I begin to think, “is it this silver chevy monte Carlo with 22’ rims that made this officer assume that my husband and I are criminals or could it be because we are black.” I then asked the officer “what if I refuse to give you my ID; I didn’t do anything wrong”, if you don’t count riding while black. He commented, “I will arrest you”. At this point I was filled with rage, my heart pounded hard and fast. I called my father a mayor in Louisiana and I asked him, “Is this true, can this officer really make me give him my ID when I was doing anything and I was wearing my seat belt?” “He firmly told me “Cooperate, he has the upper hand”. I cooperated, I didn’t have my license but I did have a old Louisiana ID that I gave the officer. Next he asked for my social security number. At this point I told the officer you are racial profiling. He didn’t listen. He walked back to his car and stayed there for 5-10 minutes. I am sure he ran our license plates and he seen that neither one of us has any warrants or tickets. He did came back and issued three tickets, two seat belt tickets and one because my husband couldn’t find his car insurance paper. I begin to shake, I am getting a ticket for not wearing my seat belt when I was wearing it. My husband whispered to me, this is America. I cried for hours, I felt sad because I thought racism was behind us. My ancestors fought so hard for colored people to have equal rights and today on an cold November day, their hard work blew in the wind and if Jim Crow would have been real he would be looking down smiling thinking his partner in crime for making my husband and I feel like second class citizens.
By: Ingrid Jennings
I hope all the patrolmen that work for Palm Beach County Sheriff department are not like this and if so may God be with us!!!!
I’m so indignant every time I hear stories about people that are still pregidists, and even more when they use or abuse the power of their position. I also belong to a minority that has always been persecuted, killed, and unjustly judged for their religious denomination.
We have achieved so many great advanced progress in many areas for our planet and it’s people in the last century. So, why is it that when it comes to our fellow human beings we have no tolerance, acceptance and love for each other?
We all were created in God’s image, or if you believe in evolution,then we all came from the same ocean, and therefore we all are equal. Let’s make this world a better place and enjoy the short period of time we are here in peace, love and tolerance.