There comes a moment when one has to call “a spade, a spade.” I doubt that it’s possible to find a single African-American man who has a personal story that relates the tenuous nature and unsettled feelings that seem to naturally flow from interaction with law enforcement officers. Every Black man that I know of can inform you of the moment that they came to the realization that the one life that they spent decades developing can be snatched away at a moment’s notice by a rogue law enforcement officer due to no fault of their own.
This unfortunate reality was reiterated yet again by the experience of Dr. Armen Henderson this past week. Dr. Henderson, a medical doctor whose service to the homeless community in Miami, Florida, during the global pandemic was feted by the Miami Herald newspaper has made national news as a result of it being his turn to be in the wrong place, this time it happens to be in front of his house, at the wrong time. Dr. Henderson’s character is best reflected in his taking charge of much of the Coronavirus testing of the homeless in this uncertain time.
If they are being truthful, most Blacks, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status, can tell you that they understand that their life can be ended due to circumstances far beyond their control. For Dr. Henderson, the context was his loading of makeshift tents that he intended for the homeless. This good nearly cost him his freedom, if not his life.
Dr. Armen Henderson was in front of his home loading up his vehicle with supplies to continue his outreach efforts for the less fortunate in his community when IT occurred. The IT that I refer to is an unwanted and unnecessary conflict with a police officer. A video camera captured the officer’s arrival and a subsequent brief discussion between the law enforcement officer and Dr. Henderson. Video footage also captured the officer placing the famed medical doctor in handcuffs for no apparent reason. In a scene that reminds one of the fugitive slave laws of yesteryear, Dr. Henderson screamed for his wife’s assistance. Fortunately, she was aware enough to rush outside with identification confirming that this harassment was occurring in front of their residence. It is deplorably that this pillar of the community was not released until the officer reviewed the identification in a manner that reminds me of the deplorable antics of slave catchers reviewing manumission papers that identified persons of African descent as free men or women. As expected, Miami’s Chief of police, Jorge Colina, backed his officer’s actions and attempted to explain away the issue as a misunderstanding that flowed from the officer investigating repeated complaints of illegal dumping.
As mentioned above, there comes a time when we must call “a spade, a spade.” For African-Americans who did not already realize that they must be on high-alert every moment of the day, even inside the comfy confines of their homes, this is yet another lesson that you are always only a moment away from a contentious conflict with a rogue element of some law enforcement agency that has convinced themselves that they have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner of any Black person they encounter.
If nothing else, the historical record indicates that we must each understand that we are only a single interaction from having our life and the lives of those that we love permanently disrupted by the unwise decisions of a bigoted officer “following procedures.” Such a context mandates that African-Americans pledge to be careful out there today, tomorrow, and forever because your life is the best thing that you have going for you. Survive conflict with rogue officers and anyone else seeking to harm you “by any means necessary.”
Dr. James Thomas Jones III
© Manhood, Race, and Culture 2020.
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