Anyabwile: "I’m Experiencing That DuBoisian Two-ness"

I've appreciated Thabiti Anyabwile's writing before, so I was curious to read his latest blog post related to the events of Ferguson: "The One Thing My Mother Would Not Let Me Become".

Over the last 5 or so years I've become increasingly disillusioned with (at least our local) law enforcement, but largely because of the ticky-tack tickets so many people I know have received of late. It's hard to believe these tickets would have been issued before such stringent budget cuts and, after I got a $272 ticket for going 22 mph in a 20 mph school zone, I've had to work to check my bitter and suspicious attitude when I see a cop car.

I didn't grow up with the "adversarial relationship between the police and African Americans" that Anyabwile speaks of in this post, so I appreciated reading from his perspective. I often gravitate towards articles written by and about African American experiences, but I've struggled to adequately relate these experiences to some of the (white) people I've talked to. Just a few days ago I had a rather heated exchange with someone who (in my mind) refused to try to understand the unrest in Ferguson and wrote it off as a "stupid riot".

Reading his article directly after such a frustrating conversation probably made me appreciate some of these sentiments even more, because he said what I struggled to communicate. He writes eloquently, of course, but in such a balanced manner that I believe him and appreciate him all the more. I think the entire article should be read, but I at least wanted to highlight the following paragraphs: 

Referring to conversations he has had with other (white people) regarding a (black) bias against law enforcement, Anyabwile says:

I’ve benefitted from these exchanges, if for no other reason than it demonstrates once again the very different lives African Americans and White Americans live in the same country. For my white interlocutors, the thought of not trusting the police never crosses their mind. It’s the right thing to do. It’s basic civics. That’s, in part, why even the peaceful aspects of the protests in Ferguson look to them like a “riot.”

 And, in response to the question "how long [do black people have to keep harping about racism]?" he writes:

Are all the racists and the racist sentiments of a police force with hundreds of years of practice gone in one generation? Have all the attitudes and practices that made forceful subjugation of African Americans possible disappeared in a couple of decades? Does justice travel city halls that fast and that sweepingly? I suspect not. Is it possible that the basic posture of police forces—though changed significantly—continues to be one of patrolling and suspiciously judging African Americans?