The Unforgiving Color

Stephanie Wright

Composition II

Professor Terrell

May 4, 2015

The Unforgiving Color

Webster’s dictionary defines racism as poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race, the belief that some races of people are better than others. The question society needs to ask of itself is this what the police are doing when they are pulling people over. Racial profiling is defined as the routine of pulling over African Americans based solely on the fact that their skin color is different. About a decade ago the New Jersey Turnpike was termed “White Man’s Pass”. Many residents of New Jersey believe that minorities were being pulled over and searched more than that of their white counterparts. This term originated in 2001 and after it came around it added to the infamous history of the Turnpike being a through way from Florida to New York. The purpose of this research is to inform the reader of Racial Profiling that is happening across America.

Imagine being a small white woman driving along with your husband and step-children, who happen to be large black men, driving 85 MPH down a state highway and seeing those flashing red and blue lights in your rearview mirror. All I was thinking was I am going to jail. I say this because at the time I was driving on a suspended license in a car whose registration was recently expired. The officer slowly walk up to the passenger side window and the first thing he asks is “Ma’am is everything ok?” At first I was scared crazy then I was offended. The officer proceeded to not only take my license but the ID’s of those in the car with me. After sitting in the blazing heat for almost 30 minutes the officer returned to the car, told me everything seemed to be in order, then he just let me go. This was my first but not my last encounter with racial profiling. Janet Chan, a professor at the University of South Wales, states that “It is clear that, given the power and discretion available to police, the experience of...