What I tell my son.
Shortly after my son learned to drive, he was pulled over by a cop after completing what was described as a “reckless turn” on his ticket. I was glad! It put him in his place and provided a learning opportunity. We took public transportation to the juvenile traffic court office in South LA. It took hours! I wanted him to experience the obvious result of losing one’s license. Mom and dad would not be his taxi service (this was long before Uber).
I’ve never had “the talk” with my son, I never felt I had to. But millions of Black parents believe they must have “the talk.” It’s not about sex, it’s about what they must do when pulled over by the police. Put your hands on the wheel, do nothing suspicious, ask before you do anything, never reach quickly for your wallet, phone, or into the glove compartment. Never, ever resist anything the officer tells you to do and so on…
Black parents know that all too often non-aggressive actions are interpreted as life threatening actions by arresting officers. Philando Castile’s death as he reached for his gun permit (after telling the officer what he was doing) is the most infamous example.
The truth is that most Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jews don’t know what it is to go through life as Black (unless, of course we are both Black and Jewish). So it’s easy to forget that once all Jews were Black by association. Country clubs, neighborhoods, and schools all prohibited Jews and Blacks. But after the Shoah, white America reclassified some Jews – upon seeing so many people who looked just like them in newsreels of the camps, World War II turned some of us white.
As I walked amidst the protestors in Pan Pacific Park last weekend and saw the predominantly white faces in the crowd of thousands (and the many Jewish stars on the signs), I was heartened to know that so many of our young people are doing their best to understand what it is to be Black in America.
Here’s an important podcast with episodes exploring race and poverty.
— Rabbi Ron Stern