On Sunday, we went to check out a new school for potential training/filming opportunities. It was just Darryl, Nipsey, and I and it was a beautiful day. On a much more serious note, about 30 minutes in, we suddenly heard the sound of a house alarm going off not far from the spot. It lasted for about 10 seconds before the alarm stopped and I immediately felt uneasy. My first thought? "Maybe we should leave." I thought this because my parent's house has an alarm on it just like that one and when it goes off, the security company calls and sometimes, even if it's just an accident, they'll send police to the area to do a house check.
I didn't want to have to deal with the police - not because it's inconvenient or because maybe we wouldn't be able to come back to the spot - but because I have witnessed Darryl being profiled by police before. I watched them stand there, hands on their guns, not even acknowledge the fact that there were two women and a dog walking with him. I watched as he held his hands out to indicate that he had no aggressive intentions while they moved closer and repeatedly told him that he "fit the description" of a call they had just received. A black man with dreads.
Let me tell you how terrifying that is. To watch the man you love being questioned for something you know for a fact he didn't do (because you were with him the whole time) by multiple cops with their hands on their guns, ignoring the fact that there are TWO witnesses with him who can back up his claim that he was not the man they're looking for. Aside from that, we always have camera gear on us. ALWAYS. We very rarely go anywhere without it. Why is that scary? Because as a Black Man holding a camera, a cop could easily say "I thought he was armed." Now, if you're thinking that that couldn't possibly happen, I'm gonna leave this here for you:
- Stephon Clark (cell phone)
- Keith Childress (cell phone)
- Dominic Hutchinson (binoculars)
- Reginald DeWayne Wallace (iPod)
- Tamir Rice 12 YEARS OLD (toy gun)
- Rumain Brisbon (bottle of painkillers)
- Alfred Olango (vape pen)
These are only a few names of Black Men (and a 12 year old boy) who were all shot and killed because police "believed" they were armed. Look up their names if you haven't heard them before.
We got lucky on Sunday because no one came. But please believe me when I say that the thought and scenario didn't leave my mind for the rest of the time we were there. And if it was on my mind that whole time? I want you to imagine what it was like for Darryl. What it's like for him every time he hears a siren or is followed by a police car or has any interaction with an officer. What it's like to live with that every day - for him and for every other Black Life in America right now.