After a ‘disturbing incident’ on the T, questions about riding while black
Jamie Davenport stood up for a young black man during an interaction with MBTA police, she said.
http://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2016/07/22/mbta-rider-details-experience-in-facebook-post-racism-is-alive-and-thriving-in-this-country
On Wednesday night, 23-year-old Jamie Davenport described what she called an “entirely disturbing” incident she witnessed while riding on the T.
In a Facebook post that had garnered more than 49,000 shares at the time of this story’s publication, Davenport described an event when her train was stalled at South Station. A conductor, who had asked a group of black teenagers to quiet down, called on MBTA police after the teens “mouthed off,” according to Davenport.
When the MBTA police arrived, they asked the teens to de-board. The teens obliged. The officers then ordered a 16-year-old boy to leave, as well.
The 16-year-old wasn’t part of the group—he told the police this, Davenport wrote, but they still ordered him off.
As I begin to put my headphones back on the police reenter the car. They look at the boy and say,
“We said everyone in the group has to get off.”
The boy says,
“I don’t know them.”
The police say,
“It’s an order. Everyone in the group has to get off.”
I collect my bags. The police looks at me and says,
“Not you. You’re not in the group.”
The police places his hand on the boys shoulder and guides him off the train. In a moment of temporary rage blindness I stand up and scream,
“He doesn’t fucking know those kids.”
The police looks at me and says,
“Is that true?”
To which I say,
“Yes, and it was true when he said it too.”
The police release the boy and he sits down across from me again. We share a moment of blankness and then tears well in both of our eyes. He waves me over to the seat next to him. He says,
“That was because I am black. Wasn’t it?”
I nod. He looks down sheepishly at his shirt and says quietly,
“I’m just happy they didn’t hurt me. That would kill my mom. And she is not someone you want to mess with.”
I say the only thing I can think,
“I’m so sorry.”
He says,
“With all that’s going on in the world I am so scared all the time.”....(more)
What a sad state of racial relations we have going on in this country. Trump just emboldens people with this attitude and makes them feel like they can get away with crap like this.
= new reply since forum marked as read
