driving while black
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ACLU Files Suit Against South Carolina's Wealth-Based Driver's License Suspensions
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles’ policy of automatically suspending the driver’s licenses of people unable to pay traffic tickets, a policy which disproportionately affects poor and nonwhite people. Along with the ACLU of South Carolina, Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC, the Southern…
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Kevin Sneed Acquitted of 'Attempted Murder' of Maryland Cop Who Jumped Into His Car [Corrected]
Kevin Sneed of Prince George’s County, Maryland, was pulled over for a broken taillight. He ended up with an attempted murder charge. But after a two-year battle, and with help from local advocacy groups, Sneed can continue being a freed man. Sometimes the justice system gets it right. According to NBC Washington 4, the officer…
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For Black Drivers, Traffic Stops Can Be a Matter of Life or Death. Can the 'Not Reaching' Pouch Make Them Safer?
As a black person in America, we’ve all been there. The anxiety in our stomach as we pull our car off the road, watching police sirens dance in our rear view mirror. The despair of not knowing how the forthcoming chain of events will unravel. The uncertainty of whether or not we’ll live to see…
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If You Live in One of Chicago’s Black Neighborhoods, Stop Reading This and Go Check on Your Car
While you’re probably familiar with the phenomenon of “driving while black,” a new investigation on Chicago police officers’ tendency to issue multiple tickets for the same parking violations has ushered in a new, absurd phrase into the cultural lexicon. We shall call it “not driving while black.” WBEZ and ProPublica Illinois analyzed a decade of…
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#DrivingWhileBlackWithLeavesOnTheWindshield: Kansas Man Detained for Having ‘Vegetation’ on Window
A man driving through Winfield, Kan., went live on Facebook during a traffic stop last Sunday after cops told him he was being pulled over for allegedly failing to signal a turn within 100 feet. But what should have been a citation or warning led to Rudy Samuel being detained because of “vegetation” on his…
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Watch Nashville, Tenn., Mayoral Candidate Tell Roomful of Black Voters Racial Profiling Is ‘Absolutely Necessary’
There are some things that make you feel so icky that they’re impossible to explain. I don’t know why my gag reflex is triggered every time I (ack!) think about (ack!) tongue-kissing Kellyanne Conway. Until I learned about trypophobia, an irrational fear of bumps or holes, I had no idea why those pictures of Erik…
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What’s on Your ‘I’m Driving While Black and This Cop Just Pulled Me Over’ Playlists?
We’ve all been there before. And by “we” I mean, “if you’re black and you’ve ever been behind the wheel of a car.” You’re driving along, minding your black-ass business, and blasting Rick Ross or some other unapologetically ignant music at obnoxious levels, and you glance into your rearview and notice a cop behind you…
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Recently Released Video of 21-Year-Old’s Violent Arrest in Pasadena, Calif., Leaves More Questions Than Answers
The city of Pasadena, Calif., recently released bodycam footage of an early November police stop at a gas station during which a 21-year-old was beaten bloody and suffered a broken leg.. The release of the six videos marks the first time that police-body-worn-camera video has been made public in response to a police use-of-force incident…
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Drive Black, Buy Black: The Root Goes on the Blackest Road Trip Ever With Author Lawrence Ross
Meet Lawrence! What’s up, everyone! My name is Lawrence Ross, and if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love black people. Yeah, I know people like to say that, but I truly do. I’m fascinated by who we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going. And over the past…