Race Baiting Is Exhausting. For Everybody.

Every morning, before I've even had a chance to convince myself to get out of bed, social media is already yelling.

A racist customer.
A racist cop.
A racist teacher.
A racist company.
A racist neighbor.
A racist cashier who allegedly looked at someone for 1.7 seconds too long.

Some of these stories are absolutely real. Some expose behavior that deserves attention. Some uncover problems that need to be addressed. But somewhere along the line, outrage stopped being the exception and became the business model.

And that's exhausting.

As a Black person, I'm tired of opening my phone and feeling like the internet wants to remind me every single day that somebody somewhere hates me. Whether the story is accurate, exaggerated, missing context, or eventually proven false barely matters by the time it reaches millions of people. The emotional effect is already there.

After a while, you start wondering if the world is actually getting worse, or if algorithms have simply figured out that fear and anger keep us scrolling.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: if your news feed convinces you that racial conflict is happening around every corner, you're going to start seeing racial conflict around every corner.

That isn't healthy. It's also unfair.

Most white people aren't racists. Most Black people aren't walking around expecting racism from every person they meet. Most people are simply trying to get through work, pay bills, raise kids, and figure out why eggs suddenly cost as much as a car payment.

Yet social media rarely rewards ordinary interactions. Nobody posts, "500 people treated me with kindness today."

Instead, we amplify the one awful encounter because outrage gets clicks, comments, shares, and ad revenue. Decency doesn't trend.

There's another side to this that doesn't get discussed enough.

Imagine being a white person who doesn't have a prejudiced bone in your body, yet every day you're confronted with headlines that imply your race needs to answer for the actions of someone you've never met.

That has to be exhausting too.

It creates a conversation where people stop listening because they're already preparing their defense.

Meanwhile, the actual racists, who make up a tiny fraction of the population, get far more influence than they deserve because we hand them the microphone every single day.

We should absolutely call out genuine racism.

We should absolutely seek justice when people are treated unfairly.

But we don't have to build an entire culture around hunting for the next racial controversy before we've even finished discussing or resolving the last one.

Constant outrage has consequences.

• It increases anxiety.
• It fuels suspicion.
• It makes neighbors view one another through stereotypes instead of shared experiences.

Worst of all, it convinces people that progress is impossible, even when history shows we've come much farther than many are willing to admit.

The goal shouldn't be pretending racism doesn't exist.

The goal should be refusing to let racism become the lens through which we interpret every interaction.

Because if every disagreement becomes racism...

If every misunderstanding becomes discrimination...

If every headline becomes another reminder that America is hopelessly divided...

Then the people making money from our anger have already won.

Sometimes common sense means acknowledging that a problem exists without allowing it to consume your identity. I'm not saying that we need fewer conversations about race. Maybe we just need more honest ones.

The kind that don't begin with outrage and don't end with everyone hating each other just a little bit more.

When AI Can't Tell Us Apart, Who Pays the Price?

I ran a simple experiment. I uploaded the same photo of singer Durand Bernarr into three different AI apps and asked each one to identify him (because I'm old and I didn't know who dude was on the awards show I was watching).

The results?

One confidently said Usher. Another insisted it was Lucky Daye. The third... well, it found another random Black man that wasn't even close.

Three guesses. Three wrong answers. Three completely different people.

If AI can't correctly identify a Grammy-nominated artist whose photos are all over the internet, why should anyone trust it to identify the average citizen standing in front of a camera?

Courtesy of 2026 BET Awards

Now let's talk about the elephant mounted on every telephone pole.

Flock cameras.

They're popping up everywhere. Neighborhoods. Shopping centers. Apartment complexes. Highways. The sales pitch sounds great: safer communities through smarter technology.

Who doesn't want safer neighborhoods?

But there's one question that doesn't get asked nearly enough.

What happens when the technology gets it wrong?

History has already shown that facial recognition technology has often performed worse on people with darker skin tones than on white faces. Researchers have documented those disparities for years. While many systems have improved, they're not perfect, and not every company uses the same technology or the same standards.

That matters.

Because if an AI system mistakes one Black man for another, the consequences aren't just an embarrassing error message.

• Someone gets questioned.
• Someone gets detained.
• Someone has to prove they weren't where the computer claims they were.

And once suspicion enters the room, it doesn't always leave just because the facts finally show up.

My little experiment wasn't a scientific study. It was simply a reminder that confidence isn't the same thing as accuracy. The AI didn't hesitate. It answered as if it knew exactly who it was looking at.

It didn't.

That's what concerns me most.

Computers don't have to be malicious to cause harm. They just have to be wrong often enough in situations where being wrong carries serious consequences.

We're racing to install cameras everywhere while assuming the software behind them deserves our trust.

Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't.

But shouldn't we demand proof before allowing algorithms to help identify suspects?

Technology should assist investigations, not replace common sense.

If AI can confidently mistake Durand Bernarr for Usher, who's to say it won't confidently mistake your neighbor for someone wanted three counties away?

The danger isn't that AI makes mistakes. People do that every day.

The danger is that people often believe a computer simply because it's a computer.

And that's exactly when common sense needs to be louder than artificial intelligence.

"Nope! No racism here!"

A picture says a thousand words.  

The first step to fixing a problem is to first admit that there is one.  A lot of the police departments in this country seem to not want to do that.  So many of the politicians in this country seem to not want to do that.  Many citizens in this country seem to not want to do that.  We're just walking around with blinders on like the Netflix movie, "Bird Box".

We just keep walking around aimlessly as if nothing is going on.  "Nope.  No racism here!" 

Now the NBA players are boycotting.  I'm not sure what their endgame is, but I stand behind them exercising their right to peacefully protest.  Anything that raises awareness to people of color being fed up with status quo is just fine with me.

What was the final straw that prompted this boycott?  A knuckle-headed teen shot and killed two people last night because he wanted to be a cop.  How telling is that?  And when the cops were responding to the scene, they drove right past the 17-year old, rifle-toting white kid with his hands held up in the air.  Drove right past him!  Why?  Because evidently he didn't appear to be a threat to them.  But a 12 year old black kid named Tamir Rice was shot and killed seconds after police arrived on the scene of a playground where he was playing with a toy gun.  And Tamir, unfortunately, is just one of many examples.

Racism is real.  White Privilege is real.  Racial biases are real.

What will it take for us to make you see that?

Pick A Bale Of Cotton

Sometimes these blog posts just writes themselves.  An Arkansas senator named Tom Cotton said that slavery was a "necessary evil".  Well, unlike our American History books, to put things into context, he said that, "As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil on which the union was built."

This conversation came up during an interview about how slavery should be taught in schools.  Cotton wants to cut funding for schools who use curriculum from the "1619 Project".

You don't have to be a history major to know that a lot of foul stuff was happening to black people in the 1600's.  That project was created to help students understand how this country was built on the backs of slaves.  It's a painful story to tell, but it does help to enlighten those who know very little about how this country came to be what it is today.  In no way, shape, or form is murdering, beating, and raping a group of people a "necessary evil".  It's evil, but it's very unnecessary.  I don't care in what context you attempt to use it.  However, he later said on Twitter that he wasn't endorsing the Founding Fathers stance on slavery.  Blah, blah, blah.  Cotton also made quotes that insinuated that despite America being a flawed country, it is a great country and he doesn't want it portrayed as being formed by a bunch of greedy, racists crooks.

And this is a huge problem that I have with American History school books.  They are incomplete.  They don't tell the real story of how this country came to be.  The treatment received by minorities would bring about a ton of shame onto a lot of prominent people.  Especially if names were mentioned.

Case in point, Senator Cotton is a descendant of slave owners.  There are documents floating around online now that show a will from his great-great-great-great (I'm unsure of how many "greats") grandfather leaving slaves to an heir.  So, I'm guessing that having to explain that part of history is not something he's wanting to get into.  In fact, I'm sure that a lot of surnames of prominent people would come up if we did a deep dive into the origin of slave owners.  There are a lot of rich people in this country who had wealth passed down to them from those who made it off of the backs of treacherous acts.

It's ironic that a man with the last name of "Cotton" has a problem with how slavery is taught in schools.  History should be no longer "white-washed" to tell "his story".  It should be told in its entirety so that people can begin to understand how "The Greatest Country in the World" has a lumpy carpet from the things being swept under the rug.

Combating Social Injustice Issues in America

I was fortunate enough to be tagged for a discussion about racism along with some very insightful minds. 

You can check out the discussion here.

I participated in the second episode of the Holism For Advancement Roundtable hosted by Dr. Herman SJr. himself.

I've been fortunate enough to interview him a couple of times on T2Q and as he usually does, he dropped science on this topic as well.  His other guest, Miguel Conner, was amazing in establishing a base to some of the societal problems we endure as a country today.

So, please enjoy this discussion and share, share, share!  The world needs to hear more insightful opinions on race and not the same old babble and catch phrases.

Seeing & Combating Inculcated, "Invisible" Fundamentals That Create Negative Systems 

* (Please excuse the audio-only format due to technical issues) *

This is the second show of the Holism For Advancement Roundtable founded by Dr. HermanSJr. to present the most powerful, no-nonsense, science-backed solutions to highly-complex world issues that can be used immediately to begin forcing step-change in people's lives across all landscapes (business, educational, personal, social).  

Experts: Dr. Chandra Babu (Ph.D.) | Right.Academy | (not present in show due to technical issues) Miguel Conner (B.A.) | TheGodAboveGod.com 
Quincy "Q" Shelton | Talk2Q.com 
Dr. HermanSJr. (A.A., B.A., B.Msc., M.A., M.Msc., Mpsy.D.) | DrHermanSJr.com 

This roundtable is based on Dr. HermanSJr.'s Holistic Vision program taught to experts and laypeople across countries, industries, and languages to force step-change via game-changing action and thought. 

Start the Holistic Vision program now for your business, educational, personal goals at https://DrHermanSJr.com.

I Don't See The Big Deal With 'Gone With The Wind'

Maybe it's just me, but movies aren't supposed to be real, right?  Some are based on true stories, but a movie is still entertainment when it's all said and done.  So, why does a movie need a disclaimer before it's aired on HBO Max?

'Gone With The Wind' is one of those movies that critics have raved about for decades.  I've never seen the movie nor do I care to do so.  It's just not my thing.  However, I have read about how black people were depicted in the movie as "willing slaves" or "incompetent".  Because of this, we end up with this movie that's been around since before my dad was born coming with a warning label as if we're incompetent as well.

Now, because I've not seen the movie then maybe I don't understand the extremes of which the slaves may have been depicted.  However, I don't think that you throw a disclaimer on it because of it.  Does that mean that we'll have disclaimers for music videos that show women being degraded by men?  Do we have a four minute speech at the beginning of "Old Yeller" because of what people may perceive as animal cruelty?

Look, slavery happened.  And it infuriates me to know that people were treated like that.  My people.  But, TV is make-believe.  The reason why 'GWTW' hasn't bothered me in my 48 years on this planet is because I haven't watched it.  And that's what I would advise people to do if they feel outraged about how blacks were depicted in this film.  Just don't watch.  Don't even sweat the "gone with the wind plantation" mentality.

Who cares if some white people watch it and get their jollies from seeing black people mistreated?  They were racists anyway if they got enjoyment out of that, so why make a big deal out of people who probably aren't going to change?

I don't want to see lengthy disclaimers in front of my movies due to racial insensitivty, excessive violence, gratuitous booty shots, or whatever.  No apologies in front of "A Time To Kill" or "Mississippi Burning" or whatever unflattering movies that may be out there.  And there are thousands of them.

Most people generally know what they are getting when they sit down to watch a movie.  And if they don't know and happen to get a few minutes into it to discover that there's something about it that they don't like then they can change the channel.

Maybe there's a discussion that can be had about whatever was unpleasing about the movie, but please don't force movies to do this regularly.  Let these movies serve as talking points for productive discussions about racism.  Although I appreciate the effort, but disclaimers still won't change the systemic racism in this country in my opinion or even come close.  That's an entirely different discussion.

White People: Do Your Part

I don't know if my white friends understand the seriousness of this or not. Every black person has a story like this, including myself. Not all have peaceful endings. 

I don't want people to think that this stuff is new just because social media allows people to plaster it all over the web these days. Since I was a teen, I've experienced many incidents about if I "belonged" somewhere. 

Do people not realize that calling the cops on black people for no legit reason these days should be a form of criminal negligence?  If you think that someone doesn't belong then call a building manager, not the police!  Find out the truth instead of trying to intimidate someone.  White people who threaten to call the cops on black people should know that the end-result will be the severe mistreatment, and in some cases, death, of that black person.  

Until white people actually speak to their peers about correcting it then I'm afraid that it's never going to cease. Racism isn't a conversation for black people to have.  It's a conversation for white people.  White people started racism, so they have to end it.  Minorities can stomp, march, and hold signs all they want, but until white people bring this conversation into their churches and homes, it's never going to end.

I grew up in a predominantly-white school system and I had quite a few white friends. Not all white people are prejudice.  But, understand that it only takes a few dummies to make everyone look bad. Weed these people out already! Being silient is just allowing you to get unfairly lumped in with the rest these idiots. 

I won't hold my breath and wait on this to be shared, but know that an uncomfortable discussion is what it's going to take to reduce the number of prejudice people in the world like this guy.

Police Only Protect And Serve Each Other

So, yet another video surfaces of police using excessive force during an arrest.  The suspect later died after being taken into custody. 

During the video, the man pleaded for mercy and indicated that he couldn't breathe quite a few times.  He kept trying to adjust his head to find relief, but the number of cops on him wouldn't allow him comfort.  Not to mention the one cop who applied pressure from a knee to the back of the man's neck.  He was clearly increasing the pressure the more the man appeared to be adjusting to get some air.

Despite the man being in custody and no longer a threat, this cop still felt the need to "punish" him by keeping the knee in the back of the man's neck which ultimately may have led to the trauma that killed the man.  The onlookers pleaded with the cop to ease up. They begged the police to just put the guy in the squad car.  They told them to check the man's pulse when he became unresponsive.

The cops did none of that.  An ambulance was called, but the man appears to have died before they arrived.

Look,  I understand that police are humans and get frustrated, too.  They get tired of people who may run and / or resist.  But some cops don't realize how what they do comes off as severe bullying to the general public.  Especially minorities.  Once the suspect is subdued, the fight is over.  You don't have the right to continue to punish someone who is in handcuffs and not in a position to be a threat to anyone.

I have met some really good cops in my life.  Cops who wouldn't dare think of intentionally harming someone.  But until THEY start to speak out against this, we'll continue to see videos like these.  When was the last time you saw a cop testify against another cop for police brutality?  Wait.  When's the first time you've ever seen that?

This "loyalty to the uniform" stuff needs to end if they ever want to truly gain a reputation for "protecting and serving" the people.  Because right now, the police only "protect and serve" each other.

White People Need To Stop Being Racists

This logo is as accurate as it is iconic.  PE#1.

Now that I have your attention, let me give some background on myself to explain why that I think that statement is 100% true: I grew up in a predominantly white school system.  I had a lot of white friends in my childhood, so I saw the good in white people.  I was oblivious to a lot of the atrocities in the U.S. because of the type of education that I received and the environment in which I was raised.

Then I went to an HBCU (Google it if you don't know the acronym) and I met other people who looked like me who had totally different experiences growing up.  By the way, this is generally how one learns about the world.  Being exposed to all walks of life is what expands our way of thinking.  But, back to the topic at hand...

I spent a lot of my youth and some of my adult life explaining to minorities how "the conversation" about racism should be approached with white people.  I found myself speaking from a place that protected the good white people that I knew.  It took growing older in society to realize that they didn't need me to defend them.  Their privilege alone gave them the protection that they needed.

The point I'm trying to make is that black people have no responsibility in stopping racism.  White people do.  And it's always been that way despite how others have tried to spin it over and over again.  It's not a woman's responsibility to have "a discussion" with an abusive husband.  He just needs to recognize that he's wrong and stop abusing her.  See how simple that is?  Problem solved.

We don't need a table of "black leaders" to sit down and discuss why we shouldn't be unlawfully shot by police, denied opportunities for leadership positions from being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company to being an NFL head coach, or refused loans and/or housing based solely on the fact that we are enriched with melanin.  Black people have complained for decades on the things that prevent us from truly being equals in this country, so there's nothing new to talk about.  All white people have to do is stop doing it.  It's just that simple.  Nothing else is required.

And for all white people who have done things to help promote the end of racism, I thank and applaud you.  We wouldn't have made it this far without some of you.  But, you're going to have to do more.  Because in order for you not to be unfairly grouped in with racists, you have to convince the racists to cut it out.  So, it looks like you have the responsibility of helping this madness end.  Not black people.

Stay Off Timelines That Offend You #BodyShaming

I just finished reading an article over at People about a young lady who claims she was body shamed.  Now, I'll be the first to tell you that these "shaming" accusations that we see thrown around social media can be ridiculous to some.  However, at what point do we allow people to live their lives and deal with their own consequences?

Shalom Ifeanyi is a student at the Univ. of Cincinnati.  She posted some photos on her IG page that caught the eye of her volleyball coach.

The photos look extremely tame compared to what we see online these days.  But, her coach, Molly Alvey asked Ifeanyi to remove the photos because they showed too much of her breasts, despite the fact that she was fully-clothed in all of the photos.  Mix in the fact that some of her white teammates were allowed to pose in two-piece swimsuits and you have the formula for a discrimination lawsuit against the school.

Corporations and institutions need to stop policing people's personal lives.  A person shouldn't have to censor their personal online sites to comply by someone else's standards.  They should be allowed to post at will and forced to deal with the consequences, if there are any.

I'll be the first to tell you that people shouldn't post online half of the things that they do, but they are responsible for their reputation, not me.  If I don't like it, then I shouldn't view it.  It's just that simple!

Why are people so compelled to remove or ban something they're not forced to look at in the first place?  And if you feel that it's some sort of black eye to the reputation of your corporation or institution, then you're the one with the problem.  Ifeanyi is a volleyball player.  If she shows up at a game wearing something deemed provocative, then at that point, discipline her as you see fit.  Other than that, she owes Univ. of Cincy nothing outside of the school system.

Companies need to stop selling the allusion that they're only employing perfect people.  There are no perfect people.  And if the photo posted above is "too sexy" for Coach Alvey, then please don't ever let her see some of the 2018 prom season photos that I saw on Facebook this month.  Her had would explode.

It's sad that Miss Ifeanyi, who is a beautiful girl, has to endure this sort of attention for something that is ultimately so inconsequential to the Univ. of Cincy.  But, I guess that she realizes now that what she does as a black woman, right or wrong, will be scrutinized.

That's just how we roll in America.

Leave @DemetriaObilor and Women Like Her Alone

Jan Shedd took to Facebook on Wednesday to call out Channel 8 in Dallas’ new traffic reporter, Demetria Obilor, who she said was a “size 16/18 woman in a size 6 dress.” 

“Has anyone seen Channel 8’s new morning traffic reporter? Her name is Demetria Obilor & she’s a size 16/18 woman in a size six dress and she looks ridiculous,” Shedd wrote in the now-deleted post.  -- NY Daily News

Here we go again.  I can't believe that in almost 2018, we still have to deal with the level of hate that we see in this country.  Then again, why should I be surprised?  Social media has given the haters of America the illusion of being experts in the criticism of their targets.

There's a traffic ensemble anchor in Dallas, Texas by the name of Demetria Obilor.  As you can see by the photos, she's extremely attractive.  However, that's working against her in the eyes of some of her viewers.

Here's the thing: you can be a TV personality and be attractive, but you have to do it by "societal standards".

What does that mean?  You can't be urban with it.  No extreme curves.  Booty, hips, and thighs need not apply when it comes to being a female sex symbol in the U.S.  In other words, you can't be too black with it (despite the fact that some white women pay top dollar for surgical enhancements to "black it up", for lack of a classier phrase).

We need to find a way to put a stop to this behavior.  First of all, she's a news personality who is doing her job.  Just like all of us, she has a right to choose whatever profession that she wants.  And let's throw in the fact that this Nigerian/American was born this way.  Why should she change who she is genetically because Jan Shedd and a few others think that she's too hot for TV?  Should she wear a muumuu instead of a dress that fits?

Secondly, she has the right to flip her profession into whatever entrepreneurship she chooses.  That includes recognizing the fact that people are enamored with her looks and turning that into a modeling/speaking/hosting hustle.  I'm a firm believer in using what you got to get what you want.  That means she can be a news personality and a model simultaneously.

And lastly, when are we going to accept the fact that it's okay for women to be sexy and respected at the same time?  Why does it have to be one or the other?  Can a lady be good-looking and knowledgeable?  Does credibility only come in a size 4 with straight blond hair and blue eyes?

Leave the Demetria Obilors and women like her alone.  Every year there's someone different who catches backlash for having a banging body on a newscast (usually black or Latina).  Ironically, the criticism seems to come almost exclusively from women.  And ladies should be supporting her instead of tearing her down.

If  a shirtless Dwayne "Rock" Johnson did local weather, do you think guys would be on Facebook saying that it's too much?  Hardly.  We'd either say that it was cool or we would just change the channel.

It's time out for the foolishness, ladies.  Stop shaming these ladies just because your man is watching a lot more news than he did a few months ago.

Why Was "Hidden Figures" Not in My History Books?

I finally took the opportunity to watch the movie "Hidden Figures".  It's a movie, based on a true story, that follows the lives of three women, who lived in Virginia, who were key components in the success of the NASA space program in the 60's.  Not only was working in prominent roles at NASA a rarity for women, these women were also black, which makes it even more of a phenomenon for the early 60's.  As I watched this movie, my heart swelled with pride to see these black women blaze the trail for many others to come.

Well, maybe they blazed a trail locally.  Because I don't recall ever hearing these ladies mentioned in my history books.  12 years of school and NASA's space program didn't mention one woman until Sally Ride.  Where were the names of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson?  These women were part of the reason we ever got an American into space at all and they can't get any love in history books?

What would it have meant to thousands of young, black kids, especially girls, across the country to know the accomplishments of these three ladies?  Let me retract that.  There were actually as many as 30 black women who worked for NASA during the first orbit around Earth.  They were referred to as "computers" because of the type of work that they did.  Either the state of Virginia has a surplus of super-intelligent black women or the school system has done us a disservice of informing us of minority accomplishments.  I'll go with the latter.

This movie showed how black people were able to overcome the mistreatment that they received while still outperforming their white counterparts.  Something that a lot of us still deal with today.  We've all heard the phrase, "you have to work twice as hard to get half of what they got."  This movie is a prime example of that.

I would encourage anyone to watch this movie.  It doesn't matter your race or gender.  It's something that everyone can get something out of.  What these ladies did should have been celebrated since the launch and should be a part of American History and not just NASA's history.  Yet it took 44 years of my life to even hear about this story.

And it makes me wonder how many Native Americans, Asians, Latinos, etc. have been left out of the history books, too.  I guess we'll never truly know, but thanks to director, Theodore Melfi, for telling this story.  It's a shame that only one of the three ladies involved was actually alive to see it.

Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson.

STOP SHOOTING BLACK MEN!!!!

How many times do we have to scream it before someone acts like they care?

Another unarmed black man has been gunned down.  I've lost count of how many have died within the last few years.  If you run, then you get shot.  If you fight, then you get shot.  If you comply, then you get shot.

What does it take to not get shot other than being white?

And don't feed me that garbage about "he looked threatening" or "he was a bad guy".  Or my favorite: "we don't know what he did prior to getting shot".  Uh, did he pull a weapon and attempt to use it on a cop/civilian?  Because that's the only reason he should be shot dead.

I can name some very high profile examples of non-blacks who actually had weapons who went to jail instead of the morgue.  One even got taken to Burger King for a meal after killing multiple black people in a church.

The only way to stop these senseless killings is for:

1) Police to admit that they have a problem with their perception of black men in society.  Acknowledging that black men scare you will get the ball rolling on how to fix it.  Yes, there are some intimidating brothas out there, but if you're scared, then don't be a cop.  That's not the right job for you.  Walmart is hiring.

2) Police need to start going to jail when they kill unarmed black men.  "Oh, I didn't know he was unarmed."  Well, too bad because you're still going to get this jail time for involuntary manslaughter if nothing else.  There has to be a consequence to the action.  Paid administrative leave is not a deterrent to shooting someone.  In most cases, these shootings appear to be cold-blooded murders and should be treated as hate crimes.

3) Police need to stop training their officers to shoot to kill.  This within itself doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  If soldiers overseas have certain protocols that require shooting to kill to be a last resort, then why is it normally the first choice here in the states against our own citizens?  In the latest incident with Terence Crutcher, the cops were close enough to easily shoot Crutcher in the leg if necessary.  But, that's not what cops do.  They shoot to kill.  It has to stop.

4) Police need to do their jobs!  If your job is to put away criminals, then do so.  Even those criminals are within your police force.  Stop turning a blind eye to your "brother in blue" while families are losing loved ones on the regular.  How can you continue to put on a badge every morning that is simply seen as a piece of tin by black communities instead of something that represents integrity?  Show that you're to be trusted by doing the right thing!

It's a shame that I'm 44 years old and I'm terrified to see blue lights while traveling.  The same feeling my dad had in the 50's and 60's whenever he drove some where.  Even if you're polite and accommodating, there is no guarantee that you won't be a target over a "misinterpretation".  Imagine an agitated black youth who may not make the effort to be polite or accommodating.  How do you think his day is going to end up?

Colin Kaepernick is never going to get off the ground at the rate we're going.  I hope that he brought knee pads.  SMH.

Black Lives Don't Matter, But Cops Lives Do

So, a couple of more unarmed black men are approached for something petty and ultimately gunned down at the hands of cops.  One of many reasons why I wrote about black people being extinct by the Year 2100.

Let me start off, like every other black writer, by saying that I have nothing against the police.  For some reason, people think that if you're pro-black that you're anti-white or anti-cop.

That's just stupid.

Just because you want to stop breast cancer doesn't mean that you're all for cervical cancer.  This blog encourages common sense, so those who actually use it before commenting or inboxing me are appreciated.

The Media

First of all, I'm tired of the media regurgitating the same ol' rhetoric that means nothing.  I'm tired of hearing "It's time to have the conversation about..."  About what?  We've been talking for 60 years and nothing has changed.  The only difference between 1956 and 2016 is that we have the ability to film the killings today.  The only downside to that is how the media exploits it.  They're the main reason cops are afraid of black men today.  We're portrayed as predators and the police hunts us down as such.

The officers being shot last night in Dallas was a tragedy.  The media should be bringing their family together via satellite with the family of the unarmed black men who were recently shot to show their similarities.  Instead, they act as if those grieving black families no longer exist.  Because the shooting of cops is more important to them than of unarmed black men.  Black lives don't matter, but cops lives do.  The value of their lives are unequal in the eyes of the media.  That nonsense is passed on to the American viewers who ultimately start to subconsciously believe the same thing.

The Police

The same police who scream about how snitching is protecting criminals in the black communities are ALWAYS tight-lipped about one of their own who commits an atrocity against an unarmed black man.

Has anyone in the police department ever stood up and said, "my partner was wrong for shooting that man"?

If so, then I'd love to see a video of it because I've never seen it.  Police protect their own yet chastise the black community for doing the same.  The irony in that is astounding!  They want black people to help them find cop killers, but won't help black people find unarmed black men killers.

Black Cops

If you're a black cop and you don't speak out against your own people getting killed, then punch yourself in the throat.  It's a shame that some black cops will protect the law enforcement brotherhood while ignoring their own.  Is this lady the only cop with guts to speak out against the treatment of her own people?  Does it have to be someone in your family before you start to care?

Oh, I almost forgot.  The Commander in Chief needs to take a stand for the killing of black men like he has for the LGBT community's rights and health care.  Stop ignoring black people, Mr. President.  This has nothing to do with gun control unless you're going to start taking guns from the police.

Conclusion

This will never end.  It will never end because we will always have an Us. vs. Them mentality.  There is a ton of evidence of blacks snitching on blacks for the greater good.  When police start doing the same with each other, then maybe some trust can be developed.  When police actually start going to jail, then maybe black folks can be alright with the PD.  When the media actually bad mouths police like they did Christopher Dorner (a former black cop), then maybe black people will come around.

Oh, and Christopher Dorner was a terrorist for sure.  But if you think that he's much different than the cop who shot Philando Castile, then you're not capable of understanding the point that I'm trying to make.

Good and bad doesn't have a color, but we don't treat it that way.  If it were, then armed white men wouldn't get taken into custody and bought sandwiches while unarmed black men get taken to the coroner with multiple bullet holes in them.

My Take on Cam Newton and Super Bowl 50

Is Cam a sympathetic figure or not?


The Super Bowl has come and gone for the 50th time.  Although I wasn't impressed very much by the game, it still had some interesting story lines.  The main one is the story of one Cam Newton.  The guy with the huge grin who terrorized defenses all season long.


Here is why I think that he's being treated unfairly, but how he brought it on himself:


Muhammad Ali was one of the biggest trash talkers of all-time back during his hey-day.  What made him loved by few and hated by many is that he didn't mind telling you how good his was.  He didn't have to worry about social media criticism.  He came along decades before Facebook and Twitter.  He didn't have to worry about the media that much because they idolized athletes during those days.  The media would sometimes even protect an athlete by not disclosing certain stories rather than exposing them.


However, as good as Ali was, he got put on his tail quite a few times.  He lost 5 bouts.  But he never stopped talking about being The Greatest no matter how badly he lost.


Fast forward to 2016 and the atmosphere is completely different.  The media waits to prey on athletes with "gotcha journalism".  Athletes are subjected to fan scrutiny from social media and blogs like this one.  TV stations have a 24 hour rotation of talking heads who tell us what should make us feel outraged and what shouldn't.


Enter Cam Newton into that environment.  He has the bravado of Muhammad Ali, but at the moment appears to lack the resiliency. 


Last night, when the game ended, he walked through the hoard of media types to shake hands with Peyton Manning to congratulate him.  It was classy of him to do so, but I can't give him credit for it because that's what he's supposed to do.  You don't get credit for things you should do anyway.  However, his display of professionalism during that exchange is a lot more than Peyton Manning did in 2010.


Manning lost the Super Bowl in 2010 and didn't congratulate the winning quarterback (Drew Brees) on his team's victory.  Instead, he walked to the locker room with a look of dejection.  Completely classless and unprofessional, although you'd never know it because the media has its tongue inserted in Manning's butt cheeks on the regular.  They refused to bad mouth him to the extent that they are with Cam Newton.

Cam has been blasted over the past 24 hours for walking out of a press conference before it was completed.  He got tired of answering questions on why Carolina lost and he got tired of overhearing a nearby Bronco explaining how Carolina lost.  So, he just got up and left.


Completely unprofessional, but not even remotely as big of a deal as Peyton Manning not shaking hands.  However, unprofessional nonetheless.


But it's only a big deal because he made it one.  He spent the entire season essentially saying "look at me!"  His team destroyed their opponents throughout most of the season and Cam didn't have a problem celebrating that fact.  He invited the pressure that he received going into the game last night.  He said, and I'm paraphrasing, "if you want to stop me from dancing, stop me from scoring." 


Denver was up for that challenge.  Like Mike Tyson once said, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."


And Cam got punched early and often and he didn't know what to do.  What was so easy for him all season long turned out to be the most difficult thing for him to do on the biggest stage there is.  Cam didn't just get punched in the mouth, he got KO'd.  And now all of the people who told him to "stop dancing and smiling" were dying to ask him questions on why he couldn't win the Big One.


That's rough.  Anyone would have a difficult time getting through those 3 minutes of questions, but again, Cam invited this.  He's been a champion on multiple levels and it never crossed his mind (nor should it have) that he could lose this game.  But he did and he should have dealt with it better than what he did.


Someone on my Facebook said, "He's only 26.  How was he supposed to handle it?"


Seriously?  26 years old is over halfway to 30.  At what point do you consider a person to be grown?  Geesh.


Someone else said, "Until you've lost a Super Bowl you wouldn't understand."


No, I've never lost a Super Bowl, but 40-something other quarterbacks have.  I wonder how many of them walked out of press conferences? 


Another said, "Cam's human. What is he supposed to do?"


True.  He's human.  He got caught in his feelings.  But, let me drop this quote on you:

"Too bad they don't make Band-Aids for feelings." 

Guess who said that?  Cameron Jerrell Newton.  I guess he need one for his last night.


Cam Newton is a lightning rod for media bias because of he is a black QB.  Let's be honest there.  That's a huge part of it.  He invited even more scrutiny with his actions.  I have no problem with that whatsoever.  But he let the media and the haters win with his actions and that's why I'm disappointed.


I want Cam to get back out there and do his thing.  I enjoy him giving footballs to the kids, the dancing, and Superman poses.  Heck, I grew up in a culture of trash-talking.  But you have to pay the piper when someone beats you.  You don't have to give an eloquent speech after the biggest loss of your career, but you have to live up to your obligations.  That's what makes you a "professional football player" and not just a "football player."


He could have said "no comment" for 3 minutes last night and I personally wouldn't have cared.  But to walk away in the middle gave the haters and racists all of the ammunition that they needed.

#Ferguson: A Year Later

Last week, I found myself in the St. Louis area on business.  I decided that since it was only a 20 minute drive to Ferguson that I at least wanted to see the city to see what it was like.  I had no idea that I would leave with an empty feeling inside.

Arriving in the city didn't feel like arriving in any other city.  All of the stories in the media over the past year and has turned Ferguson into somewhat of a "haunted house" type of feel.  You're looking around as if to expect to see something "pop off."

But as I drove through the city, I didn't see media vans and cameras.  I didn't see any protesters (most protests occurred during the evening and I was there during the morning).  The city appeared just like any other city.  There did appear to be tension in the air just from some of the locals we came into contact with, but for the most part, just another day in an every day city.

We thought about just turning around and leaving, but then I decided to pull over and Google the Mike Brown incident.  I wanted to learn more about where it occurred.  Maybe we were on the wrong side of town and the commotion that we see each night on TV is elsewhere.  That's when I came across the street name where Mike Brown was shot.  It was about a 10 minute drive from where we were.

(Right click and open link in new tab to zoom)

I wasn't aware of the memorial dedicated to Mike Brown.  When I drove down the street where everything happened, I was actually surprised to come up on it so quickly.  There was very little traffic at the time and the few cars that did drive by did so slowly.

Four kids, no older than 12 years old, came walking by the memorial.  They barely looked at it as they crossed the street and said "hello" to us on their way into their apartment.  I didn't want to ask them if they knew Mike Brown or not, but somehow I knew that they did.  What did the memorial mean to them?  Did it make them hate cops more or did it make them fear cops more?  Did they look at Mike Brown as some sort of martyr for allegedly standing up to an officer or did they look at him as a troubled kid who took things too far?

(Right click and open link in new tab to zoom)

Once I drove past the memorial, I pulled over to get a closer look at some items placed on the side of the road.  This is where I felt the bottom of my stomach drop.  I saw stuffed animals with names written on their shirts: 

• Aiyana Jones, a 7-year old killed in a police raid in Detroit.  
• Tamir Rice, a 12-year old killed on a playground in Cleveland with a toy gun.
• Sandra Bland, a 28-year old arrested for resisting arrest despite never being initially charged with a crime.

There has to be another way for cops to do their jobs without incidents like these.  Why does everything have to end in tragedy?  At one time, being a black man made you feel like prey, but I never imagined that feeling would extend to black women and black children.

If you've read my blog long enough then you know that I have no tolerance for criminals.  But you also know that I believe in the punishment fitting the crime.  We'll never know if Mike Brown actually tried to harm that officer on that day because he's not here to tell his story.  A lot of people have not gotten to tell their stories because they are dead.

As we left Ferguson, we were silent for a good 20 minutes.  However, before we got outside of the city limits, we saw two kids walking down the street and it made us wonder if they would make it home that day.  So many never did.

Click here to visit www.Batteriser.com

Do You Even Know Why Blacks are Angry?

(This is based on a statement given on my radio show a few weeks ago..)

As of late, the country has been focused on the city of Baltimore. However, very few are talking about how a man died and the police's role, if any, in his death. Instead we are pounded with video and photos of rioting. I've stated on my show numerous times before that I'm against rioting. I said that I didn't agree with rioters tearing up their own cities.

That was back during the Trayvon Martin trial. Since then we've seen the following:

Victor White III, 22, Iberia Parish, La.—March 22, 2014 The coroner says he shot himself while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser.

Eric Garner, 43, New York, N.Y.—July 17, 2014 Choked to death by a cop while being restrained by other officers.  Famously known as the "I can't breathe" killing.

John Crawford III, 22, Beavercreek, Ohio—August 5, 2014 Crawford was fatally shot while carrying a pellet gun in a Wal-Mart. The gun was unsold merchandise and out of its package. A man named Ronald Ritchie told 911 that he looked like he was pointing it at people, but a month later he admitted that Crawford was not pointing the gun at people. Aftermath: No indictment.

Michael Brown, 18, Ferguson, Mo.—August 9, 2014 By now my line of thinking is swaying a bit. I said on the air that I don't condone rioting, but I would understand it more if people rioted in the communities of the oppressors instead of their own communities. 

Ezell Ford, 25, Los Angeles, Calif.—August 12, 2014 Ford was shot by police who were conducting "an investigative stop." " A struggle ensued," read the LAPD's news release. Ford's family members say he was lying down when shot. Aftermath: The LAPD, which hasn't closed the investigation into Ford's death, put an indefinite "investigative hold" on the coroner's autopsy report to prevent witness testimony from being tainted.

Tamir Rice, 12, Cleveland, Ohio—Nov. 22, 2014 Officer Tim Loehmann shot and killed Rice, who was holding a BB gun, seconds after spotting him at a park. This is after a 911 caller told dispatch that they believed that the kid was carrying a toy gun and not a real one.

Rumain Brisbon, 34, Phoenix, Ariz.—Dec. 2, 2014 Brisbon, an unarmed black father of four, was shot to death in when a police officer apparently mistook his bottle of pills for a gun. Aftermath: Pending.

Baltimore, MD then hits the scene with a man who died from serious injuries sustained during an arrest. My stance: I still do not condone rioting. But, for the first time, I understand it. I understand that people have reached a boiling point. Too many unarmed black people are dying at the hands of cops without investigations that make you feel the slightest bit of confidence in the justice system.

Do unarmed white people get shot by police? I'm sure that they do. They probably get shot more than black people because there are a lot more white people than black people in this country. The odds favor that. However, does the media report it when it happens? Absolutely not. It's not going to get the reaction and ratings as much as an unarmed black person being shot.

Those who know me know that I'm not one to complain unless I have a solution. Did everyone that I named above either commit a crime, tried to run from the police, or tried to resist arrest? Just about all of them did at least one if not all of those things. That still doesn't give the police the right to shoot them like dogs in the streets though.  However, for those who did either one of those three things, they do have some responsibility in what happened. Now, I'm not talking about the wrong place/wrong time victims. I'm talking about the people who had opportunities to comply and chose not to do so.

My plea to those black men out there now who may get stopped by police: if you comply then you may get a chance to live. You may not be doing anything wrong, but try to stay alive first and save the arguing for the courts.  Ice Cube once rapped that he would rather be "judged by 12 than carried by 6."  In other words, let a jury decide your fate rather than take matters in your own hands and later be carried by pall bearers.  There's no sense in being right if you're dead right.

Next, the police. The ones who are sworn to "protect and serve." I know that you all are scared. If you're scared then quit. Policing is not for you. It's just that simple. Learn how to take subjects down without your gun being a first resort. There are too many weapons from rubber bullets and salt pellets to pepper spray and tasers that you can use to take people down. Even if someone runs from you or even swings on you, you don't have a right to kill them. They may even deserve to be roughed up and society may even be better off to be rid of them. But, that's not up to you as a cop. That's up to a jury. You're not Judge Dredd.

And lastly, the media. You took a city of 400,000 black people in Baltimore and painted the picture that every last one of them is burning the city down. Let's be honest: out of those 400,000 black people there may have been 500 or so rioting? To be generous let's say there were a thousand rioting. 

Don't act like .0025 of the black population is representing all black people. Especially you, FOX News! 

There are a lot of people trying to peacefully protest yet they always seem to escape your cameras. There are Twitter photos taken by white people of white people looting convenience stores, but those photos don't represent what the media wants conveyed to the public.

As long as black people are portrayed as the boogeyman the more a cop would prefer to shoot one rather than take a chance to see what his real intent is. We've spent days watching videos of cops vs. Black Baltimore. People are criticizing the rioters. People are criticizing those who are criticizing the rioters.

No one is asking the question: why are they so mad? Why are cops so scared? Why is Freddie Gray dead?

I'm guessing a some of you didn't even know his name.

Cop Shootings in America

Another tragedy has occurred in the St. Louis, MO area.  An 18 year old black male was shot and killed by a police officer.  Regardless of who pushed the first domino to commence the event, none of this had to happen.  Just one small variation could have turned the tides on this entire ordeal.  Of course the stories vary on who did what, but the overall picture is still the same: another young, black male is dead at the hands of police.  It's time that we re-educate America and stop these senseless acts and both black people and the cops can help.

Black People

Stop teaching your kids to hate cops.  I know that all of us don't do it, but there are enough of us who teach that even if subconsciously.  Cops are to be respected for multiple reasons: they're hired to be an authoritative figure our communities and oh, yeah, they also carry guns and a license to kill.

The latter should be reason enough to teach your kids how to protect themselves by respecting the law.  Teach your kids (especially sons) to remain calm at all times around the police.  There's no need to get emotional even if you're in the right.  If you get pulled over then already have your license and registration in your hand before the cop gets to your car.  Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times.  You want them to always be visible and not move in a quick or unpredictable motion.

I know people are thinking, "why should I be forced to do that?"  The answer?  Because you want to increase your chances of getting home that night, that's why.  What's more important: how you feel or being alive?  Even if you're being harassed or unfairly targeted it's better to have your day in court than to do something that can cause a misunderstanding.  Ice Cube once famously said in a song that he'd rather be "judged by 12 (jury) than carried by six (pall bearers)."

And I agree with that 100%.

Cops

Stop assuming that all black males are dangerous.  If there is anything that is embedded in our brains in this country is that black males are to be feared.  We see things everyday that lead us to believe that they're unpredictable and have no respect for authority.  In some cases, that may be true, but you're not going to get me to believe that it represents anywhere near a majority of black males.  I know too many of them to believe that.

Here's what needs to happen: cops need training.  Badly.  Being a cop is more than just physical conditioning and gun training.  It should be more mental training than anything else.  Somehow you have to scrub their brain of every racial bias known to man and I don't think that it's as easy as one would think.  Even if you hire 500 cops, just 1% of that number can be enough to ruin the entire reputation of the police force.  That's right.  Just five people.

So, if and when a suspicious shooting does occur, it would be more beneficial for the police to treat it like a normal crime (which it is) rather than to start playing politics.  It would also give citizens more security in thinking that you are trying to protect and serve them and not just your own interests.

The police also need a change in policy.  Shooting to kill should never be the first option; it should be the last option.  Why some cops feel as if they need to empty their guns on a person is beyond me.  Especially when there are multiple cops on the scene.  Again, that goes back to training.  You can disarm a person without killing them.

Oh, I know that I only listed two things at first, but I have to add a third and it may be the most important of them all...

Media

Often they are the root cause to the mental images we all have of black males (and sometimes the police).  Whenever there is a shooting of a black male some of the media can't wait to post the most "gangsta" of photos of the victim.  Just like with Mike Brown who was shot in Ferguson, MO.  A recent high school graduate who may or may not have been a model citizen (I won't claim to know the kid), but he should have been afforded an "innocent until proven guilty" opportunity.  What does the media do?  They post this photo of him all over from the USA Today to lesser sites.

That's right. Show a photo of him throwing what a majority of the country will consider a gang sign.  That makes the police so much more believable when they say what they said about the incident.  After all, Like Trayvon Martin, he's not here to defend himself, so there's no backlash, right?

What was wrong with using this photo below instead?

Oh, too tame, right?  We wouldn't want people thinking that black males graduate now do we?

I know that I'm starting to get cynical with all of this, but it comes from a point of frustration.  We all realize that there is a problem yet we choose to only protest a few days after an incident happens.  Then it's on with our lives until the next incident.  I'm somewhat guilty of that, too.  However, I do exercise my right to vote and makes attempts with each election to actually vote for the best candidate and not my favorite political party.  If a majority of people gave Independents a chance we could actually see a change in this county.

But, that's a blog post for another day.  As for Mike Brown and other victims, all we can do is hope for justice.  Hopefully convincing evidence will show that either Mike Brown was well within his rights and gunned down unfairly or that the cop was well within his rights to protect himself.  It doesn't matter as long as it's the truth.

The only problem is: who's willing to tell it?

Racial Inconsistencies in Sports: @RSherman_25 Isn't A Thug

Mitchell 10 years ago; Rodgers present day

It's a shame that on MLK Day, I'm blogging about something race-related.  As far as we've come in this country in regards to black and white, there are things that remind us that there's still a long way to go.

Sports has been called the "great equalizer" when it comes to uniting the races.  The "Remember the Titans" movie is a perfect example of that.  Still there are some inconsistencies in the media that make me shake my head.

Time and time again I see the media portray people differently based on race and culture.  Last night, Seattle Seahawks defensive back, Richard Sherman, went off on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Michael Crabtree and social media went wild.

People called him a "thug" (which is a popular word used when describing aggressive black people), classless, an embarrassment and other unflattering words.  What they saw on TV was a black man who should "just be happy to make millions playing in the NFL."  He should be humble, appreciative, keep his mouth shut and just play the game.

It takes me back in time to my youth when I first started noticing inconsistencies in the media based on race.  I remember when Deion Sanders played hurt in a football game once.  He was clearly hampered by the injury, but chose to play and try to help his team.  He didn't play well and I remember one of the commentators saying that he was being "selfish" for playing at less than 100%.  That same day, the Jets played and one of their players named Wayne Chrebet was also playing hurt.  He went on to have a poor game, but the commentator said that he was a "warrior" for trying to gut out a win for his team.

Scoring touchdowns is something that is viewed differently at times.  The term "act like you've been there before" comes up often when black certain players celebrate after scoring touchdowns.  Yet when Aaron Rodgers of the Packers scores a touchdown, he gets applauded for that "championship belt" gesture he does.  In fact, instead of being chastised, he even has commercials for what is now called the "Discount Double-Check" move.  What's even worse is that he didn't even invent that scoring celebration.  Former Philadelphia Eagle, Freddie Mitchell, was doing the "championship belt" move back in 2003 when Rodgers was still in college.

Do you see the inconsistencies that drive guys like me nuts?

Last one: back in 2007, a player named Anthony Smith from the Pittsburgh Steelers guaranteed a victory over the Patriots in an upcoming game.  Tom Brady torched Smith and the Steelers defense en route to victory.  On one of the TD passes Brady threw, he ran up to Smith and got facemask-to-facemask and taunted him.  The stories that made the headlines the next day talked about Tom Brady's "passion" and how he was "teaching Smith a lesson" and being a "fiery competitor."

Where are those words when it comes to describing Richard Sherman?  Crabtree and Sherman were jawing at each other the entire game, so why doesn't he get to have the last word like Brady did?  Why is he a "thug" instead of a "fiery competitor?"

Lou Pinella kicked dirt on umpires and cursed them out.

Brian Wilson beat a Gatorade cooler with a baseball bat.

Bobby Knight threw a chair on the court of a basketball game.

John McEnroe yelled at judges on the tennis courts.

Larry Bird was a legendary trash talker.

John Tortorella, Mike Ditka, etc.  The list goes on and this still occurs to this day.  There are some white people in sports that have berated, cursed, intimidated or (technically) assaulted others and yet they are still "feisty heroes" to many media types. Not even once have I ever heard any of them referred to as "thugs."  Never.

Richard Sherman finished 2nd in his high school class in GPA and went on to graduate from Stanford in Communications.  He even went back for his graduate degree.  He's never been arrested and doesn't play dirty in the field of play.  He's not a "thug."  He's the best cornerback in the league (statistics will back that up) and he had the last word against a mouthy competitor.  At least I thought that he had the last word...

Crabtree obviously didn't learn his lesson because he's still disrespecting Sherman.

Does the media (including social media) treat black athletes different than white athletes?

Do Other Languages Offend You?

(thinking to herself) "Oh, no she didn't wear that!"

Okay, so I'm sitting in an Asian restaurant last week.  A Japanese restaurant to be exact.  The waitress comes to my table and speaks very good English while getting my order.  I noticed about five minutes later that she and a co-worker were off in the corner having a good laugh.  They were looking towards a customer and giggling all while talking in their native language.

Were they making fun of the customer?

I haven't a clue and I can't say that it bothers me to know what they are saying.  I just assume that they're more comfortable in speaking their native tongue.  However, I do remember a story a former coworker told me once.

First of all, my former coworker is black.  I have to give you that background to help you understand the context of the story.  She was one of four other black women getting a pedicure at a local, Vietnamese nail salon when an older, black woman walked in and sat down next to her.  The older woman was wearing something resembling African tribal attire (really gaudy ensemble including a large hat).

After greeting the older woman (in the English language) and figuring out what services she needed, the Vietnamese lady working at the location proceeded to start the pedicure.  Another Vietnamese salon worker walked by, laughed, and hurled an insult in her Vietnamese tongue about the older woman's attire.  She assumed that since everyone in the salon was black that they wouldn't know what she was saying.

What she didn't know is that my former coworker lived in Vietnam for three years and is very fluent.  She told the salon workers (in Vietnamese) that they would do that lady's pedicure for free or she would tell the woman that they were insulting her.  Of course they were stunned (along with everyone else in the shop) that someone spoke the language and to make a long story short, they did do the older woman's pedicure for free.  The older woman never knew why she received the free pedicure, but she was appreciative on top of being confused.

A lot of English-speaking people are skeptical when we don't understand something.  We feel extremely disrespected to think that someone could be bad-mouthing us right in front of us.  A lot of times we assume the worst, but I think that story is an isolated incident.  With so many people being educated in foreign language, it's not wise to assume that someone doesn't understand what you're saying.

Do you get offended when people, who speak good English, speak their native tongue around you?

"Ay, que feo!"