Surviving the encounter
This clip came together rather naturally while I was reviewing the interviews. The documentary is not necessarily about police misconduct abuse. But in light of the recent Sean Bell verdict, which highlighted the extreme nature of police brutality and racial profiling, I found it difficult not to ask my fellow New Yorkers about their perceptions of the NYPD. No one gushed. But it was mostly men of color who had negative experiences to recount.
I wasn’t surprised that racial profiling happens—i.e., you’re Black; we’re looking for a Black man that stole a car; you must be the thief. I was, however, taken aback at the frequency of experiences, per person.
Contrary to the popular assertion that if you haven’t done anything wrong, then there is nothing to worry about, the history of police brutality and misconduct in NYC leads to stressful interactions between innocent New Yorkers and the NYPD, because it affects perceptions and shapes future encounters.
This particular stress disproportionately burdens racial minorities, and especially men. It can dictate the clothing that they wear; the blocks that they walk on; their posture; their attitude; etc.
Fighting, undoing, compensating for, and/or dealing with racism and discrimination requires us to accept perspectives that are not our own. Some people experience a moment of internal relief when they encounter a police officer in their subway car; others experience a sudden increase in stress hormones.
Thank you to the participants, and, of course, to Sir Richard and Lady Nina.
Update: uploaded a new clip with some revised editing.