"This morning my oldest son asked me why folks were protesting": by Dean Shaka Sydnor

Shaka J. Sydnor, Assistant Dean of Students, University of Virginia

This morning my oldest son asked me why folks were protesting. I told him that the police killed another Black man and people were protesting police brutality against Black people and that protesting is a way for people to feel like their voices are heard. We talked about how throughout history White people have often discredited Black narratives on this. Then he asked me why people wouldn’t believe black people when they tell them their stories.

I thought about the time Corey Fraction and I were pulled over and harassed by the police. One officer circled the car and another questioned us for 45 minutes. They told us the car was registered to someone in Germany, repeatedly asked us where the drugs and guns were (bazookas to be exact). They kept us there looking for something and egging us on hoping that we would act out or give them a reason. We did not.

I thought about the time I was spotlighted and “pulled over” for running across the street at UAH and unfortunately got Adam Foss looped in and sat on the curb for 20 min while the officers tried to belittle us.

I thought about the time Alex Mohammed, Twon Dosa, Corey Fraction and I got pulled over in Pittsburgh and the officer kept asking Mo if he was a terrorist and kept trying to piss Twon off by mocking his ID photo.

Most importantly though I thought about the time when I was pulled over late one night in my hometown when I was moving back from college one summer. An officer pulled me over on a side street downtown around 11:30 at night, I had all my stuff from school in the back of my car. He asked me where I was from, why I was out so late and why I had so much stuff in the car. I told him I was coming back from college and he asked to see my college ID. Then he used his flashlight to look at every item in the back of my car and made me explain what every item was and the reason it was in my car. He never gave me a reason why he pulled me over but we all know. I was raised in a family of law enforcement officers and they knew enough to raise me to know that a lot of police will try to exert their power/authority over Black bodies.

I told my son that I don’t know why white folks don’t believe us when we tell them about our lived experiences. I didn’t tell him that I’ve told these same stories and people have told me to my face that “it couldn’t have happened like that” or “Black people are so dramatic” or “well you probably did something to get pulled over”. Instead I told him “Baby boy the folks protesting today, and even the folks rioting, are doing it in order to make it so that hopefully you’ll grow up in a world that’s just a little bit better and where folks will believe you.”

To my Black brothers and sisters, it pains me that we’re here again, but we’re resilient and will find a way to persevere as we always do.

To my white friends and family. If you are moved to action in this particular moment in time I welcome you to the conversation. But recognize you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Ask questions to learn, not to be affirmed or vindicated. Wrestle with the parts that make you uncomfortable.

But most importantly learn to listen to and believe Black people. And please don’t do it for me. I’m hip to the game. Do it for these three boys who deserve to grow up in a world where their words are trusted and a world where it is evident that their lives matter.

-SJS

This reflection was originally posted on Shaka Sydnor’s Facebook Page. We thank Dean Sydnor for generously allowing us to share it here!