Being A Person Of Color In America Is Growing Into An Increasingly Dangerous Proposition | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Being A Person Of Color In America Is Growing Into An Increasingly Dangerous Proposition

Through racial profiling, discrimination, and bias, people of color have no safe spaces in America.

224
Being A Person Of Color In America Is Growing Into An Increasingly Dangerous Proposition
Unsplash

It's amazing that in 2018, during the most progressive era of America, being a person of color (POC) continues to regress in basic human rights.

From attending college tours to studying to visiting local shopping stores and even Airbnbing, there are no safe spaces for POC anymore and people are failing to see this.

It's as if we cannot lead out our daily lives without being a target for racial profiling or discrimination.

On April 30th, three young African American women checked out of their Airbnb rental in Rialto, California, loading their suitcases into the car when suddenly, they were surrounded by police. Moments before, a neighbor had watched the three women carry their luggage out of the house they were staying in.

She didn't recognize the guests as homeowners, so she called the police about a possible residential burglary in progress. The police responded by sending six police officers and a helicopter to the scene with a goal of surrounding the house's perimeter, making it difficult for the women to escape.

Donisha Prendergast, a filmmaker and a granddaughter of Bob Marley, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, also a filmmaker, and Komi-Oluwa Olafimihan, an artist, were the three women who experienced this traumatic experience of racial profiling.

The police later admitted that the woman's reason for calling the police was because the women didn't wave to her as she looked at them putting their luggage into their car from her lawn.

The three women documented their experience, aside from the unedited body cam footage from the police.

STORY TIME
A post shared by Kelly Fyffe-Marshall (@directedbykells) on


Last week, two Native American brothers were pulled from a Colorado State University tour after a parent, who was Caucasian, told a 911 dispatcher that their behavior was "odd" and that their dark clothing had "weird symbolism or wording on it."

Aside from these incidents, three African American boys were shopping for prom at a Nordstrom Rack in Brentwood, MO., near St. Louis, when they were faced by the police after store employees suspected they were shoplifting, calling further attention to incidents of racial profiling in commercial spaces. Nordstrom has since apologized, BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH!

Lastly, an African American Yale graduate student, Lolade Siyonbola, was met by the police after a white graduate student called the police because she was sleeping in the common area of their campus residence. Little did she know, the African American student was studying for finals when she suddenly fell asleep.

Siyonbola posted two video's of Monday's encounter on her Facebook page, including part of a conversation with the white student who told her she was calling police after finding her on a couch in the room at Yale's Hall of Graduate Studies on the New Haven campus.

After questioning Siyonbola for more than 15 minutes, police confirmed that she was a Yale student who lived in the building and then left.

Police claim that the questioning was prolonged because her name was not spelled correctly in a database of student information, but we know what the REAL reason was.

These examples of racial profiling are evident that we, as people of color, have no safe havens or safe spaces in this country.

Being a POC in America has become a dangerous situation that people fail to address, don't want to address, or feel as if an apology will put a band-aid on a monumental societal issue. It's amazing that some white people can walk around with confidence and liveliness, but also live in fear of an ethnicity that has been oppressed for centuries.

It's backward. Yes, some of us live in fear because we never know when we're going to be profiled, arrested, discriminated against, or have a bullet put in our back, but what do white people have to fear? Nothing but their own racial bias.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

2504
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1504
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200749
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

21245
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments