Rev. Dr. Andre Bennett, of Lynn’s Zion Baptist Church, and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton have both been pulled over by police for the same minor offense, but the outcomes of their respective experiences were vastly different.
While Bennett was handcuffed and brought into the police station for having an expired registration sticker, Moulton said he was let go with some friendly advice to get his sticker renewed as soon as possible.
“I’m only 6’1,” said Moulton. “You’ve got an inch on me. There’s one obvious difference. You’re black and I’m white.”
In Bennett’s case, he had actually renewed his inspection sticker online, but it had not yet arrived in the mail. Bennett suggested that the officer check the system for his renewal, but was told that the officer could only go by what he saw and that it was an arrestable offense.
Although Bennett, the pastor of youth and young adults at Zion Baptist Church, was not allowed to drive the car, the police officer allowed another occupant of the vehicle, Bennett’s 75-year-old white female assistant, to drive home with it.
“If it’s not right for me to drive the car home, how is it (that) in the same breath, you’re granting permission for my white counterpart to drive the car home?” Bennett said. “So, there is a fundamental issue with, a systemic issue, with how black men are viewed against how white individuals are viewed.”
Both men shared their respective experiences on Monday evening during a virtual Town Hall focused on racial injustice, policing reform, and “where do we go from here.”
Those themes have been in the spotlight following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25, and the nationwide protests against police brutality and racism that transpired after the incident.
“Many of us are at a loss for what to do, yet we all have a role to play in fixing the institutional racism, inequality and injustice that people of color face in America today,” said Moulton. “Police brutality is a major part of the problem, but I also know that this is about so much more than that.
“We are witnessing a reckoning in our country that is rooted in historic systemic racism. It encompasses so many issues — unequal housing, education, healthcare — and of course it includes the fact that black and brown Americans are victims of COVID-19 in much greater numbers than other populations.”
Those marching in protests throughout the country are calling for systemic change, Moulton said, which both men said should encompass a change in how communities are policed and how funding is directed.
While Moulton said he is not in favor of abolishing police, as law enforcement plays a vital role in keeping their communities safe, he noted that what should be abolished is the culture within police departments that “leads to the deaths of unarmed black men.”
There needs to be police reform and communities should consider directing some funding away from police departments and toward community programs and social service agencies that are better equipped to deal with mental health issues, Moulton said.
“We need to make sure that these efforts are properly funded and that means investing more in these things and not just propping up the police,” said Moulton. “I think we need to fundamentally rethink the way policing works in America.”
Moulton cited his co-sponsorship of the “Justice in Policing Act of 2020,” which aims to “hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement and build trust between law enforcement and our communities.”
The bill was introduced last week by Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), according to a press release from Bass’ office.
A big part of the reform effort should include implicit anti-bias training with police departments, said Bennett. On a past occasion, Bennett said he was told he could be considered a threat simply based on his appearance — he has dreadlocks and is 6 feet 2 inches, which for him, is a problem.
While nine times out of 10, a situation with a white offender is deescalated, those same situations always seem to end with a person of color dying, Bennett said.
“We are simply saying black men and people of color need to be treated with the same respect and dignity that our white counterparts are,” said Bennett.
Now a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement, Bennett said he was prompted to activism after an emotional conversation with his 13-year-old son following the death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed by police in Cleveland.
After the incident was deemed justified, Bennett said his son told him that they should just tell us that being black is criminal so “that way we won’t look for anything.”
That conversation was heartbreaking, Bennett said, in terms of his son thinking he didn’t deserve anything because of the color of his skin, and caused everything to shift for him.
“Until all of us are equally enjoying and partaking in this great American dream, it is just a nightmare for the rest of us,” said Bennett. “I will continue to work for a better place maybe not for myself but for my son and for his son.”
