What can we as white allies do - just read yet another story about 911 called to

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

report the heinous crime of "living while black."

Im glad these are finally being reported because you KNOW its been going on for the last gazillion years ( centuries). I as a white person though had no idea.

From my point of view, what many of these white folks are doing is harassment of a particular vile nature.... dare I say hate crime? Not to mention abusing 911.

How can we get law enforcement/911 to more appropriately respond (or not) to these cranks? Is it realistic to presume that WE could call cops to report a harassment incident, and get any kind of reasonable outcome from that (ie harasser held accountable?)

If youre in a situation where you see this going on, what do you do?

I know I don't want to jump in and join the fray and escalate the whole situation. Im thinking perhaps just quietly telling the person of color that Im watching and will be there to corroborate his story?

Back in the late 1980s/early 1990s, I was part of a group known as Witness for Non Violence which supported the Chippewa who were getting harassed and assaulted by whites in no. Wisconsin for exercising their spearfishing rights. I do think we were effective by simply documenting the incidents and disseminating the info far and wide - speaking to church groups, media, politicians & govt reps etc.-- this was before the time of the cell phone camera. this group was patterned after a similar Witness for Nonviolence in central America.

The idea is that we can use our white privilege in a positive way, to effect change.

[donkeypoofed]

1. I think recording them on our cell phones is a big help!

Shaming the racists is also good clean fun. Watch them get fired from jobs and losing out on friends, housing, mortgages,etc,is the very least they deserve. Record this stuff if ever you see it then throw it up on Twitter or Facebook is very effective ! Go for it!! Let's publicly shame them and help them lose their jobs.

[Anon-C]

2. Thank you! White allies are powerful in these instances...

...as it helps to negate the fictious air of authority that this "out of area policing" operates under.

It is indeed ongoing harrassment and part of a skin tax POCs are arbitrarily forced to pay over a lifetime.

[brooklynite]

3. Here's a very simple response...talk to your Mayor

The complaints in these stories always end with the Police. The Police carry out their actions as directed by the Mayor or Country Executive. I don't recall anyone pressing for criminal justice reforms in their Mayoral Elections.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. There is a problem with the "If you see something, say something" mantra

post-9/11, that encourages people to report "suspicious activity".

In many all-white or majority white enclaves, "black presence" is considered a "suspicious activity". And when the people who abuse this exhortation by law enforcement and municipal governments, then their standard response is "Well they 'looked suspicious to me'" or "We've been robbed in the past so..." or "We don't have any black people in this area (whether that is true or not) so...".

I really don't see anything that can be done at this point. I don't necessarily want to come out and say that it would be fruitless, but basically it is.

However exposure of the problem may keep a subset of folks from automatically doing this, but it's almost in the nature of some and they just don't get how deeply ingrained the fear and stereotyping is within themselves. And the intervention that you mention will ALSO help - particularly the victim, who is also being forced to internalize what could become a growing hatred towards whites in general because of this constant abuse by some whites. I.e., intervening establishes clearly that "it's not ALL white people".