AP Writer Jesse Washington Explains ‘Black Male Code’

AP Writer Explains Black Male Code to His Son after Trayvon Martin Shooting

Jesse Washington explains the "Black Male Code"

(AP) — I thought my son would be much older before I had to tell him about the Black Male Code. He’s only 12,still sleeping with stuffed animals, still afraid of the dark. But after the Trayvon Martin tragedy, I needed to explain to my child that soon people might be afraid of him.

We were in the car on the way to school when a story about Martin came on the radio. “The guy who killed him should get arrested. The dead guy was unarmed!” my son said after hearing that neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman had claimed self-defense in the shooting in Sanford, Fla.

We listened to the rest of the story, describing how Zimmerman had spotted Martin, who was 17, walking home from the store on a rainy night, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. When it was over, I turned off the radio and told my son about the rules he needs to follow to avoid becoming another Trayvon Martin — a black male who Zimmerman assumed was “suspicious” and “up to no good.” 

As I explained it, the Code goes like this: Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes.

Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up.

Please don’t assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat. America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are.

I was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week, parents were talking to their children, especially their black sons, about the Code. It’s a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life.

After Trayvon Martin was killed, Al Dotson Jr., a lawyer in Miami and chairman of the 100 Black Men of America organization, told his 14-year-old son that he should always be aware of his surroundings, and of the fact that people might view him differently “because he’s blessed to be an African-American.”

“It requires a sixth sense that not everyone needs to have,” Dotson said.

Dotson, 51, remembers receiving his own instructions as a youth, and hearing those instructions evolve over time.

His grandparents told Dotson that when dealing with authority figures, make it clear you are no threat at all — an attitude verging on submissive. Later, Dotson’s parents told him to respond with respect and not be combative.

Today, Dotson tells his children that they should always be respectful, but should not tolerate being disrespected — which would have been recklessly bold in his grandparents’ era.

Yet Dotson still has fears about the safety of his children, “about them understanding who they are and where they are, and how to respond to the environment they are in.”

Bill Stephney, a media executive who lives in a New Jersey suburb that is mostly white and Asian, has two sons, ages 18 and 13. The Martin killing was an opportunity for him to repeat a longtime lesson: Black men can get singled out, “so please conduct yourself accordingly.”

AP Writer Explains Black Male Code to His Son after Trayvon Martin Shooting

Bill Stephney speaks with his son

Like Dotson, Stephney mentioned an ultra-awareness — “a racial Spidey sense, a tingling” — that his sons should heed when stereotyping might place them in danger.

One night in the early 1980s, while a student at Adelphi University on Long Island, Stephney and about a dozen other hip-hop aficionados went to White Castle after their late-night DJ gig. They were gathered in the parking lot, eating and talking, when a squadron of police cars swooped in and a helicopter rumbled overhead.

“We got a report that a riot was going on,” police told them.

Stephney and his crew used to talk late into the night about how black men in New York were besieged by violence — graffiti artist Michael Stewart’s death after a rough arrest in 1983; Bernhard Goetz shooting four young black men who allegedly tried to mug him on the subway in 1984; Michael Griffith killed by a car while being chased by a white mob in 1986; the crack epidemic that rained black-on-black violence on the city. They felt under attack, as if society considered them the enemy.

This is how the legendary rap group Public Enemy was born. Their logo: A young black man in the crosshairs of a gun sight.

“Fast forward 25 years later,” Stephney said. “We’ve come a long way to get nowhere.”

But what about that long road traveled, which took a black man all the way to the White House? I can hear some of my white friends now: What evidence is there that Trayvon Martin caught George Zimmerman’s attention — and his bullet — because of his race? Lynching is a relic of the past, so why are you teaching your son to be so paranoid?

There is a difference between paranoia and protection. Much evidence shows that black males face unique risks: Psychological studies indicate they are often perceived as threatening; here in Philadelphia, police stop-and-frisk tactics overwhelmingly target African-Americans, according to a lawsuit settled by the city; research suggests that people are more likely to believe a poorly seen object is a gun if it’s held by a black person.

Yes, it was way back in 1955 when 14-year-old Emmitt Till was murdered in Mississippi for flirting with a white woman. But it was last Wednesday when a white Mississippi teenager pleaded guilty to murder for seeking out a black victim, coming across a man named James Craig Anderson, and running him over with his pickup truck.

Faced with this information, I’m doing what any responsible parent would do: Teaching my son how to protect himself.

Still, it requires a delicate balance. Steve Bumbaugh, a foundation director in Los Angeles, encourages his 8- and 5-year-old sons to talk to police officers, “and to otherwise develop a good relationship with the people and institutions that have the potential to give them trouble. I think this is the best defense.”

AP Writer Explains Black Male Code to His Son after Trayvon Martin Shooting

(Photo: jessewashington.com)

“I don’t want them to actually think that they are viewed suspiciously or treated differently,” Bumbaugh said. “I think that realization breeds resentment and anger. And that can contribute to dangerous situations.”

His sons are large for their age, however.

“I‘m probably naive to think that they won’t realize they‘re viewed differently when they’re 6-4 and 200 pounds,” Bumbaugh said, “but I’m going to try anyway.”

I am 6-4 and more than 200 pounds, son. You probably will be too. Depending on how we dress, act and speak, people might make negative assumptions about us. That doesn’t mean they must be racist; it means they must be human.

Let me tell you a story, son, about a time when I forgot about the Black Male Code.

One morning I left our car at the shop for repairs. I was walking home through our quiet suburban neighborhood, in a cold drizzle, wearing an all-black sweatsuit with the hood pulled over my head.

From two blocks away, I saw your mother pull out of our driveway and roll towards me. When she stopped next to me and rolled down the window, her brown face was full of laughter.

“When I saw you from up the street,” your mother told me, “I said to myself, what is that guy doing in our neighborhood?”

Comments (224)

  • Warm In The Desert
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:47am

    As unfortunate as it is, that our forefathers chose not to pick their own damn cotton, and tend to their own damn cane fields, this is reality, and has been for centuries. There will always be some group of color, thought process, ideology or topic attempting to distinguish themselves from those of real or perceived opposition.

    Always a wise decision to inform your children where a possible may lie in wait, and the reasons therefore.

    Perhaps, if most parents taught simply The Ten Commandments, or for those of lesser inclination to the spiritual then, The Golden Rule, much hatred and misunderstanding might be avoided.

    Until such time…Lock n Load, Keep your Powder Dry, Praise the Almighty, and Pass the Ammo.
    Amen

    Report Post » Warm In The Desert  
    • mdw9661
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:09am

      Good grief. The sanctimony….

      I grew up in a mostly black community. Believe me, there is a code for whites in that setting too. My grade school team played an all black team they we were winning. All of a sudden, when our players were tackled they were also punched and kicked.

      Finally, when we had an insurmountable lead, the other teams coaches started punching on the referees.

      Everyone wishes and wants but reality matters. And I didn’t even mention getting jumped regularly when returning at night by foot from basketball practices by blacks.

      Yes, there is a Black Man Code. But the code for whites in black communities is, run like hell.

      Report Post » mdw9661  
    • P C BE DAMNED
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:23am

      I too in the 50s remember when we road our bicycles through a black community they would always throw rocks at us. I wonder if that is got any better. Dam.n the racism in africans.

      P C BE DAMNED  
    • BehindBlueEyes
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:41am

      There are plenty of black communities in America where whites will not venture to go and for good reason. People are not stupid and for the most part form opinions and make decisions based on real life experiences.
      Blacks are being duped by their so called leaders and will never pull themselves out of the tail spin they have been in for the last 50 years. The black family structure has been destroyed and probably will never recover.

      Report Post » BehindBlueEyes  
    • poorrichard09
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:59am

      Racism comes in all colors. The black culture reinforces stereotypes with rap music and the gangsta attitude and clothes, just like the guys wife said “I saw you and wondered what you were doing in the neighborhood.”

      Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:15am

      Stop with the B. S.

      These are common metrics used to sum up any one at any time every day. You look like a jerk, or act like a jerk, or speak like a jerk, chances are you’re a jerk. Quack, quack.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • magedogtag
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:29am

      agreed.

      Report Post »  
    • chfields62
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:34am

      If you dress like a criminal, you will be treated as a criminal, you dress like a ******, you’ll be treated like ******, it has nothing to do with the race, it has to do with common sense. Unfortunately, common sense seems to be a very rare commodity these days….The other question I have, which no one seems to have addressed is, why is this kid wearing a hoodie in 85 degree heat???? That is called suspicious behavior.

      Of course “The Schmuck in Chief” had to open his big mouth again about something he knows nothing about..(guess he’s not familiar with the old adage its better people think your stupid than open your mouth and remove all doubt) and now there is witness backing the story of him being attacked by the kid. I tell you what…someone is holding me downing and beating on me and I have a gun, they are dead!!! On the other hand, just because I have a gun, doesn’t mean I would chase after someone who looks suspicious, I may follow them and call the police, but I wouldn’t approach them…..

      Report Post »  
    • MSpra
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:21pm

      What should be said to the 13 year old white boy who was beat and set on fire on his own front porch by two black boys who were 16? As they lit him up they said ‘this is what you deserve Whitey’….. what is said to him and his 5 year old brother who did nothing?

      Where are all the news reports about that?

      Report Post » MSpra  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:34pm

      We Now Know Its Legal To Shoot Down Black Males In Hoodies.

      Every convenience store robbed was robbed by a black male in a Hoodie. The Black Male uses a Hoodie to convey a message to White and Asian America. Blacks think that White and Asian Americans have purchased enough ammo and guns to equip over 5 infantry divisions for the fun of it. The Blacks fail to realize we are determined to defend our homes and families against them even if the Federal Government goes to their defense as it always has.

      Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:37pm

      Since the AP is LEFT… Could this be a… kiss the White Man’s Ass to get ahead and avoid trouble… Double Entendre?

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:42pm

      I remember the video from last year where Chicago Blacks in Hoodies beat a boy a good boy to death with a railroad tie while a black mob cheered and laughed. The good boys crime was getting good grades and doing his homework everyday. He was hated for being a good student. We now know that from now on its legal to shoot Black Males wearing Hoodies.

      I do not think the way things are going in America that blacks will ever out number whites even if the renegade and despised Federal Government tries to protect blacks.

      Report Post »  
    • BarackStalin
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 4:29pm

      Uh, guess what…

      If I am walking through an affluent neighborhood wearing a certain kind of clothing, then people look at me suspiciously too…

      Sometimes I think they can just smell the poor on me…

      And guess what…I used to get hassled by the cops when I was young and liked to loiter around convenience stores too…

      The millions of poor, fatherless, uneducated white youths in America aren’t exactly living in candyland, Mr. Washington. Count your blessings.

      Report Post » BarackStalin  
    • toto
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:14pm

      Until blacks really grapple with the violence in their own lower class neighborhoods, people will be wary of a black kid dressed in gangsta mode. The culture in the black community has become extremely violent, extremely vulgar, and extremely anti white. You’d have to be a complete idiot not to have noticed. Sharpton, Jackson, Farrahkan, and the likes of Rev Wright feed on it and perpetuate it and indeed make their livings off of it. The destruction of the black family by welfare, food stamps, abortion, and the minimalizing of the role of black men as providers for their families borders on criminal. Those blacks that do make it are those that recognize the benefits of Judeo Christian culture of family and work. Radical leftists (both black and white) are their true enemy, and things will not improve until the majority of the black population gets that they have been horribly used.

      Report Post »  
    • MistyBlueAngel
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:09pm

      @ BARACKSTALIN; a very good point. I couldn’t have said it better myself, and I came from the same background; poor, white, and I wasn’t the cause celebre of rich guilty liberals either.

      Report Post » MistyBlueAngel  
    • 000degrees
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 7:35am

      I also talk to my kids about situational awareness. The part I leave out is the white, black, hispanic, asian, pacific islander, eskimo, oompa loompa, etc…….I wonder if these fathers covered the black on black part of the crime equasion…

      Report Post »  
    • omgfolks
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 10:30am

      Or it could be that so many Blacks have and still do cause and create violence and there for earned the right to mistrusted. if you want change you have to be willing to embrace it and earn it. Dressing like a thug, listening to violent rantings call rap and then crying foul when you get treated at arms distance rather than embraced is something the black community brought on themselves.

      Report Post »  
    • Heather Mae 74
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 10:40am

      My stepson choose to live his life based on the imagery of the “gansta rap” culture. Although he was brought up in a rural community with Christian values. He talks and acts like he was brought up in the inner city. In the last 6 years he has spent 2 1/2 years in jail for possession and intent to deliver drugs and when he came out of prison he was pulled even further into that culture. This is something that touches my family and we are white and it pains me to see the music industry glorify these stereotypes and people like Jackson and Sharpton quick to picket what they perceive another race wronging their people but they never are there to demand the ending the glorification of what feeds peoples fear and prejudices of society towards urban culture. If you are black and “talk” white you are an uncle tom a traitor but if your white and act “black” your cool. These symptoms of a sick culture can not be fixed by more entitlements and blame. The past was unfortunate but that can be said about EVERY civilization on Earth. Nothing can be done to change it and brainwashing people into holding on to the pain that was done stops any healing.

      Report Post » Heather Mae 74  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 6:03pm

      Tea Marches on Mentioned this

      In the 80s a bright young black man (teenager/highs school) wrote an editorial about what it was like to excel at school but be denigrated by other blacks & called a duck or too white.

      I tried to look up the column but the web doesn’t have too much from the 1980s. Things have not changed. Most black listen to Al Sharpton before Bill Cosby. There in lies the problem.
      4 Charged in Beating Death of Chicago Honor Student
      Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,556400,00.html#ixzz1rUM5fJcU

      Shock video: student beat to death
      http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/31237/

      Report Post »  
  • cookcountypatriot
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:40am

    this guy is right on….only thing is this…black kids in black city nieghborhoods are killing each other…..this guy should have been telling his kids to be carefull in the hood…he should also have told him the 60.s were bad ,,but they are over…and dont go listening to the race pimps on tv….but because the race pimps have such an effect on the black community that blks sem to have a major attitude for white people they dont even know.,..that yes..whitey is a lil on guard around blacks he doesnt know…because of the attitude that blacks seem to embrace…and for what…lol gas is just as expensive for whitey as it is for u..lol

    Report Post » cookcountypatriot  
    • kcares
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:57am

      CookCountyPatriot: You are right. Black men need to step up to the plate and start talking about all the race bating by their own race, and Muslim men that are “peaceful” need to step up and start talking about the Muslem Religious zeolets that are trying to destroy this country, And white men need to stand up and tell their sons that acting like they are children when they are in their 20‘s and 30’s need to grow up. Mexican men need to tell their children to not go into gangs.

      Report Post » kcares  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:12am

      The black man will NEVER “step up” and denounce the race-baiters. You see, the race-baiters lay down the cover for the black man to fail. The black man must have an excuse as to why, as a group, they are trounced by every other demographic on the planet. Without that “boogey man” to blame for their woes, then they would have to admit that THEY are the reason for their failure. They will never let that happen. They will always blame whitey.

      Report Post »  
    • RoyBaty
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:18pm

      Valid point Mil-Dot

      Report Post »  
    • sixtysix
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:28pm

      All comments are on target. My boys are white; but, when they started driving, I warned them to be careful because police target teen-aged males, especially after 11:00 p.m. Why, because teen-aged male drivers usually cause the most accidents. Also true that a while kid in a black neighborhood would not fare well. But, white people ought to be above stalking and attacking a kid unless the kid is a danger to those in the community. Even then, the threat ought to be immediate. The police are trained to stop and question teen-agers, black and white, without accelerating the confrontation. Zimmerman has been called a white Hispanic; the kid ought to be termed a white-black since it is obvious he has some white ancestry. The kid ought to be alive today; he would be alive if some neighborhood idiot had not fashioned himself as some sort of Rambo. He was told to stand down; he chose to pursue and accost. When it seems he was getting the worst of the confrontation, he resorted to a gun. In a black neighborhood, the gun would have been first. In either case, the tragedy would not be necessary. In Neighborhood Watch, the word “watch” is self-explanatory.

      Report Post »  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:35pm

      People need to be aware of their surroundings at all times, not just black males.

      A group of us were going to a movie a few blocks away and we pulled into a parking lot. The driver and her two children flung open the car doors almost as soon as the vehicle stopped and got out. A woman who was clearly psychotic, approached the car, confronted them and started getting very agitated. I told my son to get back into the vehicle immediately, which he did. The other three people had nowhere to run because they were blocked by the open car doors. Fortunately, an off duty policeman was near by and defused the situation. That happened a number of years ago.

      Last summer, there was a memorial for a young man killed in gang violence and the cops got a call saying there was someone who was suspicious in the crowd of 300. They sent plain clothed detectives and sure enough, the guy was wearing a hoodie in 90 degree heat and acting in a threatening manner. When the uniformed officers confronted him, he ran. They caught up with him and removed a .357 magnum with two loaded clips, FMJ and hollow points. The perp had a two page single spaced rap sheet and was wanted on a felony. God alone knows what he was planning to do at the memorial, but there were something like 50 young kids and a fair number of teens in the crowd.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:38pm

      Last week, I was in a neighboring City Hall’s Council Chambers waiting for a meeting to begin when a man entered and started to scream about how we were all dead and going to burn in hell. I just happened to be standing in a very open, exposed place, where if he started firing, I was an easy target. I managed to work my way carefully towards a less exposed area near a door. The police came, locked down the building and did a sweep. They arrested the perpetrator, but still, it does rattle one’s nerves.

      People have to be AWARE. And if other people dress like thugs and act like criminals, well, that’s their choice, but don’t expect people not to treat you like a thug if you dress like one.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
    • toto
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 8:10pm

      A tale of a 60′s white college student. The University of Colorado was very well integrated in the mid 60′s and for all the right reasons. The 1965 homecoming queen was popular, smart, beautiful girl that happened to be black. The point being she won the vote on merit, not race. We students were full of hope for all of us together, we wanted to learn about each other and I believe we were accepting of each other. I believe the whole country wanted a better life for all that were willing to work for it. However, a strident group of haters in the form of leftist leaders of black community, such as Sharpton, Jackson, Van Jones and many more, have continually done more to damage their own communities than any evil white person ever dreamed of. I believe they are the dupes of, or are in fact, Marxists. The black radical left have created an industry for themselves convincing the blacks that they are continual, perpetual, victims. I have come to believe that the radical black left want a race war. Martin Luther King would throw up if he could see how radical left blacks are victimizing their own, and have thrown away opportunities for true liberation, all for personal power and the big bucks. They are no different that the black Africans that sold their own into slavery.

      Report Post »  
  • krenshau
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:35am

    “His grandparents told Dotson that when dealing with authority figures, make it clear you are no threat at all — an attitude verging on submissive. Later, Dotson’s parents told him to respond with respect and not be combative.”

    Um, that’s not a black thing, that’s a respect thing. You should treat every person you meet that way.

    Report Post »  
    • do_it_all_again
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:56am

      if they really want to help young blacks move forward, the term “African-American” should be dropped !
      most blacks here in America have no ties whatsoever to Africa and giving themselves the title as such only continues to pull up the past, which they have no tie to (slavery).
      if you were born in America, then your an American, if you were born in Africa and immigrated to America, you might be considered African-American, until you papers go thru, then you are an American! Or if you hold dual citizenship, in Africa and America.
      An African -American is not always black either, Rodney Howard Brown, a Christian Evangelist and a white African, moved to America, became a citizen and also kept his African Citizenship that would make him a white African-American.
      So most blacks born in America during the last 40-50 years, most likely do not have the slightest ties with Africa and therefore can not call themselves African-American. just because a long ago ancestor came from another country, does not make you part of that country. when your ancestor moved to America, the ties to the other country stopped with your ancestor, it does not continue thru you.

      Report Post »  
    • patriot173
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 4:19am

      @DO_IT_ALL_AGAIN

      My sentiments exactly. I have over ten different ethnic backgrounds in my family. We all consider ourselves Americans. Seperating Americans into dash-Americans just contributes to the racism, seperating American society into special groups.

      Racism and America
      libertyandpatriots.com

      Report Post » patriot173  
    • FL_Catholic
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:29am

      I know that any time I get pulled over (speeding, broken taillight, etc.), it’s always, “yes, officer“ or ”no, officer“ or ”thank you, sir”. That’s regardless of neighborhood or area where I am pulled over. That’s regardless of the skin color, age, or gender of the police officer.

      Why? 2 reasons: #1) they are just doing their job protecting me and others from people like… well, me in the instance of “crazy driver”. The more respect I show for their job, the easier the situation is handled for both of us. #2) not only am I showing respect for their tough job, but if I don’t show the proper respect, and I’m argumentative, that could easily escalate into a bad scenario. I don’t feel like going to jail simply because I could not control my mouth! (James 3:1-12)

      And I’m white.

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:59am

      @ Do it all again, I agree, that term needs to be dropped like a hot rock. I seriously doubt that they can black people in France African-American or African-French. Further, we should remove anything having to do with skin color or race from all of our state and federal forms. Myself, whenever, a form asks for race, I always check the box marked other and write in American. I don’t like being categorized as “Caucasian / other than Latino”. I am an American, just as much as any Indian thinks that they are a Native American, I am that much American as well.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • NanAugie
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:13am

      I agree. Same goes for the clothes. The anarchists wear hoodies and, especially after OWS, I’d be a bit nervous and self protective if I met one of them alone at night. My son is quite white, but I always told him if he doesn‘t want to be perceived a certain way then he shouldn’t dress that way.

      Report Post »  
  • NoContest
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:34am

    I have advised my children on what to watch out for. I have advised that appearences matter. I have also advised that if a cop approaches you—or worse points a gun at you, that you need to make sure that you raise your hands, and help them understand that you are not a threat. I have taught my children to watch around, and to listen –at least to some extent– to their intuition.

    I have taught these things to my children because it makes sense–partly because the oldes 2 are girls. They know that appearences matter–if they dress in a revealing way, someone may get the wrong impression. That it is not safe to go to your car at night at… whatever store… if there’s a van next to their car–when there’s no other cars around.

    Your appearence matters. My husband has tattoos, yet when I see a heavily tattoo’d individual, I’m nervous at first, and pay attention around me. If I see someone who might be following me (I don’t care what color) and their pants are hanging to their knees, I’m careful (although it will be harder for them to run after me!)

    Some of this is true regardless of color, race, heritage, ethnicity…whatever.

    If racism is going to end, it must come from both sides. Not only must “whites” accept “non-whites”, the “non-whites” must accept that most (this means over 50%)people want to treat everyone the same (or similar),but cannot when some don’t treat themselves with the dignity and respect they state that they desire.I

    Report Post »  
    • BJC
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 4:26pm

      I agree. I would be just as scared of three or four white boys in hoods as I would three or four black boys in hoods.

      Report Post »  
  • hogtrashhd
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:29am

    hey.. forgot to add.. hey jesse washington here’s a code for you…FU

    Report Post »  
  • hogtrashhd
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:28am

    did you hear about the big hootenannny the black panthers were to have in front of the police station in florida??? only news people showed up.. that’s it.. truth.. the black panthers moved it to the neighborhood of the kid that was shot.. about 15 people showed.. truth.. must have figured out it wasn’t a white man that shot the kid..the msm is still trying to give the impression that it’s a white man who did this.. they say nothing about the dude except his name is George Zimmerman (sounds really white huh).. they don‘t clarify it by saying he’s of hispanic and maybe black ethnicity.. shame on them..

    Report Post »  
    • ds7
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 11:14am

      have you heard the latest “spin” by the legacy media?

      they are now referring to zimmerman as a “white hispanic”…they just made up a whole new “subgroup” of “americans.”

      Report Post » ds7  
  • bestartist
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:20am

    I heard about this earlier today from some guilt ridden white Obama supporter….mentioned as some heart breaking proof of a racist America….and all I could think, at first, was “so what, boo hoo hoo”
    The world is not a perfect place….it’s the same as knowing that as a woman…this advice pertains to myself and as a mother of a daughter I have to explain to her that she simply cannot wear revealing clothing and 4 inch heels and strut down the street unless she is fully prepared to, at best, hear endless catcalls and be propositioned constantly…treated like a slut and a piece of meat and a moron regardless of the brilliance of her wit and the dizzying height of her IQ and at worst, get raped ( and be told it was her fault because she asked for it ) or even murdered.
    How the world should be is different from how the world often is and it is up to us to see clearly and behave accordingly…….

    Report Post » bestartist  
  • ShyLow
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:08am

    I just want to say , I hate white women that sleep with other races…They are why men no longer have respect for women , and the reason prostitution will be legalized…25 will be the new 55 when prostitution is legalized…White women will have brought it on themselves…White men get the label of slave masters…White women get the label as biggest most ingrateful sl*ts on the planet…Go to he)) white hoodrats…May God find something that will wash the skank off you

    Report Post » ShyLow  
    • WeekendAtBernankes
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:31am

      Wow. Just, wow.

      Report Post » WeekendAtBernankes  
    • Eleutheria
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:45am

      So how long have you had this problem?

      Report Post » Eleutheria  
    • kaydeebeau
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:16am

      @ SO-low – Really!?!? – I don’t know anyone who thinks this way, feels this way or speaks this way.

      Report Post » kaydeebeau  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:23am

      Kaydee
      The reason that you don’t know anybody that talks like that or thinks that way is because you hang out with bleepers, and bleeper lovers. Enough said.

      Report Post »  
    • MistyBlueAngel
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:07pm

      @ SHYLOW, you’re psychiatrist is calling, it’s time for your haldol.

      Report Post » MistyBlueAngel  
    • JBARRANCHAZ
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 1:39am

      At least you are honest in your bigotry. While it is true that within the African-American (not Black) community there is a considerable amount of street-cred that comes from having a white girlfriend, most young AA-men have a baby-momma that is AA or black and outside of their mother, the main influence in their life. The white-women are simply for status. The AA community, black community too to a lesser extent, is matriarchal in nature. The Mother is the head of the family. Her boys are the men in her life. This is a direct result of the destruction of the black family by the US Government and pop-culture. This isn’t a condemnation of their race, simply a statement of fact as it exists in our modern culture.
      Now, AA women that sleep with white men, especially if they have a child by a white man, are often pushed out of the neighborhood. This a great insult to the AA male, for a AA woman to sleep with, or have kids with a white guy.
      The black family and culture is different. The remaining black men are generally stand-up, strong men of principle and action. They work hard, are honest and take pride in their family as well as their heritage.
      You all should feel bad for white women who are used as sex objects, not just by AA men, but ALL men of all races and cultures.
      I’d rather my daughter date a black man who honored and respected her, than someone like you SHYLOW that shuns them and says hateful, disrespectful comments.

      I’m a white, conservativ

      Report Post »  
  • JP4JOY
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:57am

    Zimmerman looks Hispanic to me. How come this is being blamed on whites? The last name? 1/2 white? Just curious!

    Report Post » JP4JOY  
    • ShyLow
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:27am

      It is a power struggle to get everyone turned against white hetero males…The very reason I detest the white hoodrat so much…Filthy ingrates…the phrase women and minorities , translates to white women and minorities…white hoodrats will be a big voter-block for Obama…One of the reasons I want to shame these filthy creatures out of existence…dirty , dirty , women…May God wash these stepford women clean…May God curse these women that betrayed their own…All those that refuse to repent

      Report Post » ShyLow  
    • portague
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:34am

      if it was not for an agenda he would be classified as hispanic. If someon is half white it is the other half there called by ex obama half white half black classified as black. THe only time people do not do this is if there is an agenda.

      Report Post »  
    • RepubliCorp
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:24am

      Bill Cosby’s son (if he could talk) might tell completely different story about that black male code

      Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • waspanglosaxon
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:47am

    The statistical fact that Black (and Hisp) males are about 15 times likelier to mug someone than men of other groups does, admittedly, put me on guard whenever I’m around them. This fact makes me a ‘racist’ (this is PC/BS-speak for ‘Caucasian’). Likewise, when I see a rattlesnake, I attempt to get away from the snake as soon as possible, which, I suppose, makes me a ‘specie-ist’ as well. And whenever I heard of a known gay man dying young, I just can‘t help wondering if it’s from AIDS or some other STD (which makes me ‘homophobic’ and probably ‘STD-phobic’ as well, which I likewise freely admit). I find women sexually attractive but have learned to watch what I say around them (especially in the workplace), which makes me a ‘sexist’. And, of course, I openly resent most of my federal tax dollars going to Israel’s war against the civilian Palestinian population, which makes me “antisemitic” (even though Palestinians are the real Semites).
    Damn, just in the course of a day, I‘ve piled up so many ’isms’ and similar labels, it’s positively Politically Incorrect! Millions of others feel this way as well, I realize, whether they have the testicular fortitude to say so or not.
    So whaddya call this? I call it plain old ‘Common Sense’ – the worst hate crime of them all.

    Report Post » waspanglosaxon  
    • lukerw
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:04am

      Don’t worry about the Tax Money… we can swap: you pretend that your Taxes only contribute to Muslim Nations… and I’ll pretend mine goes only to Israel!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • cookcountypatriot
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:14am

      i love your words,,,only im for israel..lol but we can still be frnds

      Report Post » cookcountypatriot  
    • lukerw
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:26am

      Second thought… forget it… the Chinese are Really Paying :)

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Eleutheria
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:59am

      Political correctness is the antithesis of intellectual honesty.

      Are you aware that the United States gives about twenty times as much aid to Gaza/West Bank as Israel?

      I think all federal foreign aid should cease immediately.

      Report Post » Eleutheria  
    • Arc
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:12am

      ^5…. I’m a fairly COMMON guy and totally concur with your post.

      Report Post » Arc  
  • McNamara
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:45am

    And this is why the racism machine keeps churning..

    Report Post » McNamara  
  • IMAWAKENOW
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:44am

    I was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week, parents were talking to their children, especially their black sons, about the Code. It’s a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life.

    Maybe a better oral tradition would be something like this..
    Son, I know it is cool with your friends to let the government pay you not to work and make as many babies as you can. Your friends will also call you a sell out if you try to do well in anything other than sports. I am here to tell you it is time to stand up for yourself by working hard in school, get a job, any job and do your best at it. You can and will prove yourself and get promoted. Don‘t fall for the BS that you can’t make it because of skin color, not anymore. Be responsible in all things in life. Find the right girl and get married before having children. Avoid the government welfair programs and givaways. Don’t make excuses for yourself, stand tall and become a man.

    I wish more people would have that talk with their kids.

    Report Post » IMAWAKENOW  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:29am

      Nah, that wouldn’t leave them a way out, a scapegoat to blame when they screw up. They would never tell them that. But, I must admit that was poetic and right on the mark.

      Report Post »  
    • Michigan Conservative
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 10:40am

      Amen!
      Could not have said it better myself.

      Report Post » Michigan Conservative  
  • Thevoice
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:40am

    Really sad part …Back in the day (color don’t matter) being a ganster meant you dressed with some class…Gezz marie …We don’t even have that left …

    Report Post » Thevoice  
    • lukerw
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:52am

      In my childhood… Gangster meant that you had access to a Machine Gun… and would do anything illegal for quick money. And, ‘the Color Purple’ was the name of a Detroit Gang! So, from my perspective… things have not changed much!!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Thevoice
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:06am

      Lukerw ..Here’s a throw back …This is really going to get a chuckle out of a few ….A purple button down shirt .your dads old combat boots.(resoled of course and cleated)….Yes and a tube of Vo’5 …and you were a instant Greaser ….

      Report Post » Thevoice  
    • lukerw
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:15am

      @THE…
      Are you saying that there is something wrong with… my Button Down Shirts… and Boots?

      :)

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • libertytreecaretaker
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:38am

    I have a white code. If a 6′2″ black male of any age starts punching you is the face and your armed give them 230 grains of stop please!

    Report Post »  
    • Mil-Dot
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:35am

      I know. This whole “he was unarmed!!!!!!!!!!!!!” crap is just a ruse because whitey ultimately won the confrontation. Like if you don’t have a gun, knife, hammer, baseball bat or sword, you can’t inflict bodily harm or kill someone. The law does not saction self defense ONLY if the attacker has the above in his hands at the time. Oh yeah, add “a rock” to the list. Pffftt…….

      Report Post »  
    • Patriot of My America
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:20pm

      Self Defense is a God Given Right. I am all for the Right of Self Protection. If that Black man no matter his race, white, green, or brown. Attacked and intended to do physical harm. Then use all force at your
      disposal. And with out regard to the race of your attacker..

      Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:22am

    He forgot… Always carry a chip on your shoulder for the injustice done to your ancestors…. Always hang out in Groups & Gangs… Always treat someone who looks you in the eyes as a potential enemy… Never give the right of way to others… and Treat all women as Hoes!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • HKS
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:26am

      Ya missed two, “always cut to the front of the line.“ ”Everybody owes you something.”

      Report Post » HKS  
    • lukerw
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:55pm

      Oh, Yeh… do not Learn or Pronounce English words correctly… rather copy Rap & HipHop Music… and do not AXE Questions!

      In general, just avoid Civilized & Congenial Behavior!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • MistyBlueAngel
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:19pm

      Yep, that about sums it up.

      Report Post » MistyBlueAngel  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:22am

    Wow. Bernie Goetz shooting four black men who “allegedly” tried to mug him on the NY subway? That’s an alleged whopper right there. Everybody needs to watch out for those alleged screwdrivers. They’ll allegedly kill ya every time. Mr. Washington needs to keep it real when he’s schooling his son, or writing newspaper stories.

    Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
  • Just in time
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:20am

    I have seen this first hand. One black person telling another. ( Your slippin). As if to tell them. I’m watching you and your not holding your own against the white tyranny. I say there is hatred in this world. But stop pitting one against the other. But instead, work toward unity and equality.

    Report Post »  
  • edearl
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:19am

    And I also had a talk with my son when he became a young man. I told him that if he was out and was around a crowd of blacks to beware. They could possibly become violent with him or other whites
    because of the color of their skin. It happened to me and thousands of other whites.

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:28am

      Amen .. .this works BOTH ways .. and as a woman … I am ALWAYS aware of my surrounding .. and ready to defend myself.

      Report Post »  
    • MistyBlueAngel
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:24pm

      And EDEARL, no offence, but as a woman, I‘ve told my daughter many times to be afraid of ANY man she doesn’t know really well, and be doubly afraid of groups of men. This is nothing evil, it’s just instinct. The human brain is hardwired that way, we fear those who we know might want to harm us.

      Report Post » MistyBlueAngel  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:18am

    Hey, I had to explain the Asian/White code to my son. “Look kid, first you will be labeled a racist anytime you disagree with a minority, even though you are one, both Asian and Cherokee. Next, whenever there is a math question, they will look at you for the answer. I know you are getting A’s in calculus, but there it is. Next, when arguing with idiots, they will always point out you are betraying your race because you don’t vote Democrat. So there you have it son, the idiots are racist, and you don’t have to tolerate them, you don’t have to like them, but you do have to let them spout. That is their first amendment right. But just remember son, you also have rights and brains. Use both wisely.”

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • KangarooJack
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:05am

      Hey, Glenn is still alive in ‘The Walking Dead’ and it has NOTHING to do with his skin color or math skills.

      Report Post » KangarooJack  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 2:36am

      Yaaahhh. Glenn is alive in the Walkind Dead. And how is the Micheal Jackson zombie doing?

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 3:54am

      Battlestar Galactica Rocks. That is all.

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • Smoovious
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:12pm

      The original one, yes…

      Can’t stand the bastardization the new series did…

      Next thing you know, they’ll make a new Star Wars, but a wookie will be a spider monkey riding your shoulder, and Princess Lea played by Ru Paul…

      I’m all for doing a fresh take on a series, or a continuation, but ya don’t fck with the established characters.

      And, humanoid robots? pfft… please… who decided that, the same guy who butchered Battlefield Earth? (I mean, really!? John Travolta as the psychlo!??! … what a let-down…)

      – Smoov

      Report Post » Smoovious  
  • HorseCrazy
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:13am

    I am glad he is bringing up this issue, kids especially mexican puerto rican or black need to hear it. it is true it may be hard to talk about in this pc society but yes, dressing gangster like is going to get you treated differently. it is what the police are constantly sued over “racial targeting” but in truth it is the clothes folks. If I wear 6 inch heals and a skimpy dress and walk down the street at night people will think differently of me and I am white. we all need to put our best self forward. good for this guy. in other news any one see the larry david bit about a black man with glasses? glasses get all your young black kids glasses.

    Report Post »  
    • portague
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:41am

      People hate the clothes thing and say its not the clothes. Unfortanantly the gangs have been known to buy specific brands, colors, and attire as a dress code to identify themselves. Which turns normal clothes into gang clothes sucks but this is what happens. This happens to a lot of dress styles whether you like it or not. This is the truth and there is little you can do about it besides stay away from certain clothing lines and colors.

      Report Post »  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:11am

    This is good info for ALL KIDS!!!

    Report Post » banjarmon  
  • copatriots
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:10am

    I have tingling sensations when I come across people when I’m walking in a city by myself late at night. Nevermind, scratch that, the unspoken female code says…….you’re an idiot to walk in a city by yourself late at night.

    Report Post »  
  • KangarooJack
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:07am

    What? What is this? What IS THIS?

    Geeze, I’m sick of this. I REALLY AM! Born in America? Guess what? You ARE an American. Exactly HOW LONG will the rest of us have to pay for something MOST of our Ancestors NEVER did??? I had the opportunity today to experience something rather unique. Today I was presented with the opportunities to find out I’m NOT racist…turns out-I’m actually “classiest”.

    There IS a difference.

    So instead of instructing your children on how to “not be a target” why not instruct them on how to just be AMERICANS????? Regardless of color, gender, or whatever you wish to hyphenate.

    Report Post » KangarooJack  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:15am

      It is incredible that we still judge people by the color of their skin. I see the comments here on the BLAZE and say to myself…no wonder we have a race problem, because peope hang on to stereotypes and misinformation for a long time.

      We live in 2012 not 1950. Grow the hell up sheeple. this administration wants you in a race war and you are being played as a useless idiot tool…If you see this shooting as a black and white problem, then YOU are the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • libertytreecaretaker
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:35am

      I Agree. This crap about teaching your son he is a victum because the color of his skin is exactly why we are in this situation as a country. If you were born in America you are American. Americans claiming that they have something to do with Africa,or Mexico or China is crazy. I am American with no ties or allegence to any other country. Oh yah Africa is a contenent you idiots.

      Report Post »  
    • Captain Crunch
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 1:02am

      @Baddoggy

      They feed the stereotypes by their behavior. They thrive when they feel like victims, real or perceived.
      “They” are the entitlement whores, the you owe me leaches who would just as soon take from you by force as they would passively take it in the monthly assistance checks. I will judge by stereotype until they convince me they are reasonable people. There are too many dangerous animals walking among us to give anyone the benefit of the doubt by foolishly letting your guard down. Sorry.

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 8:37am

      @Church…wear that sheet proudly…idiot.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • copatriots
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:06am

    In all fairness, I only read half the article. But, don’t we all have codes to live in the world…..especially today.

    Could never vote Democrat due to their liberals ways, I still find myself sad yet again that our first half-Black President wouldn’t overcome his own instilled prejudices to understand the times and truly take this country beyond race. We WERE there and ready! O has done nothing but set us back….how incredibly shameful.

    Report Post »  
  • Laus Deo
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:05am

    Doesn’t his explanation apply to any color? I just don’t understand, I guess.

    Report Post » Laus Deo  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:16am

      yes it does. I am really glad he wrote this, in a pc world we need to know color does matter. gang crime is caused mostly by young black and hispanic kids. if good kids don‘t want to be treated like crap by police then please don’t dress like a gangster. if there were more open conversations about this instead of the pc garbage no police officer would be sued for racial targeting. they don’t target the black man driving a toyota mini van in a button down shirt they pull over the 4 black kids in a low rider with hoodies and gangster rap booming loudly. good for him for teaching his kids the simple thing, if you dont want to be treated like a jerk dont dress like one.

      Report Post »  
    • Welcome Black Carter
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 12:28pm

      African American?
      So, I am an Irish American? All this time I thought I was an American.
      Possibly a Canadian American could weigh in on this question?

      Report Post » Welcome Black Carter  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 8:39am

      Yes it does, it’s just common sense. Lots of white kids try and dress hip hop or whatever too. They are viewed suspiciously as well. White guys covered with tattoos and facial piercings are viewed suspiciously, it’s not racial. I‘m pretty sure that in the 50’s and 60′s white kids who dressed in straight leg jeans, motorcycle boots and leather jackets with greaser hair were viewed more suspiciously than kids with a crew cut and a letter jacket too. Appearances count. Get over it.

      Report Post » Gonzo  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In