By Monique
In the few days after the no indictment decision from New York concerning the Eric Garner case, Twitter has been a firestorm of discussion about race, policing, and crime. Two hashtags that developed include #AliveWhileBlack and #CrimingWhileWhite.
#CrimingWhileWhite was intended at showing how white Americans benefit from a privilege that, as many black Twitter users including me feel, is a privilege we only thought we understood from what we have seen looking in from our black perspective. Apparently, we were wrong. Some of y’all out there are getting away with some major crimes. Some of the tweets, including the first one, I still can’t believe are actually true. Some of these are made up, right?
Got caught walking out of Best Buy w/ an 80 inch TV. The cops just asked me to walk back in with it. Thanks boys! #CrimingWhileWhite
— Loco Eric (@ericsshadow) December 3, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite my cousin drove while drunk, slammed head-on into another car and killed the driver. his sentence? one year.
— neil blocker (@rgolowicz) December 3, 2014
When I was 21 I was pulled over drunk and crying from a break up. Wasn’t arrested. #CrimingWhileWhite
— GoogieBaba (@GoogieBaba) December 3, 2014
successfully shoplifted A LOT back in the day because nobody ever followed me around or assumed I was a risk #CrimingWhileWhite
— River City Rando (@goofoffartiste) December 3, 2014
I punched a cop and was just told I had to apologize. #crimingwhilewhite
— K Fortino (@KennyPeanuts) December 3, 2014
Multiple friends of mine have been pulled over while drunk, many of them have gotten out of it. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Goob (@C_OBrien02) December 3, 2014
Wasn’t “criming” but I got stopped ~3am once cause of ‘suspicious activity in the area’ Cop: Obviously that wasn’t you #CrimingWhileWhite
— Pun-KMC (@KyleMack13) December 3, 2014
My boys had a trap house. It got raided. There were plenty of illegal things inside. No one inside got arrested. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Hobbes Has No Hops (@mymomcandunk) December 3, 2014
Shot 72 people and killed 12 in a movie theatre and was subdued and arrested unharmed. #CrimingWhileWhite pic.twitter.com/1V0EG2qVPk
— Francesco (@Londonandreams) December 4, 2014
Pair of teenagers steal 39 guns, discussed selling them to #Ferguson protesters http://t.co/GcYsAZ5Fhf #CrimingWhileWhite #p2 #tcot
— CSGV (@CSGV) December 5, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite 5 Ohio deputies probed for racist text messages: N-word used multiple times http://t.co/3cnpPYVPK3 pic.twitter.com/3z9OUBpewk
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) December 5, 2014
140 characters is NOWHERE NEAR enough to list the things i’ve done that r worse than selling loose cigs & petty larceny. #CrimingWhileWhite
— j.r. havlan (@JRHavlan) December 5, 2014
However, there’s a fine line between being an “ally” and sounding like bragging. Some people’s tweets read like jokes, to be honest. Either white privilege is that ridiculous that it would be seen as a joke in the real world, or some are not being as helpful as they think they are. This led to a discussion from both black and white Twitter users who have the opinion that #CrimingWhileWhite isn’t necessarily the best way to support black friends and family who are hurting over the decisions rendered in New York, Ferguson, and the systemic bias in policing in general.
#CrimingWhileWhite as explained by @DaveChappelle: http://t.co/zGgIIrpJdD
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite tells tales of white privilege. But are those the stories we need right now? http://t.co/QxmwzkSVY3
— WNYC (@WNYC) December 4, 2014
Very glad #CrimingWhileWhite exists but it pains me to read what some folks have gotten away with. “Get on home”? Wow…..
— Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) December 4, 2014
Maybe sharing light-hearted stories of how good you’ve got it isn’t the best way to show solidarity w/ grieving people? #CrimingWhileWhite
— Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) December 4, 2014
I don’t need you highlighting privilege to prove that police brutality is real against Black ppl. Audience matters not. #CrimingWhileWhite
— PrestonMitchum (@PrestonMitchum) December 4, 2014
Moreover, why should we NOW suddenly see police mistreatment based on race b/c of #CrimingWhileWhite? Black people have ALWAYS known this.
— PrestonMitchum (@PrestonMitchum) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite is just as offensive and dismissive (to me) as #AllLivesMatter.
— Charles Wade (@akacharleswade) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite is a distraction like a follower said from what WE had to say. I’m getting sick of the competing hashtags.
— Charles Wade (@akacharleswade) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite is confirming what we already know. Thank you for sharing your stories.
— Niecy Nash (@NiecyNash) December 4, 2014
I just hope ppl contributing to #CrimingWhileWhite are vocal about these disparities offline. great, you’re trending but we need action
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) December 4, 2014
Try to be an ally without changing the narrative. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Danielle Henderson (@knottyyarn) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite is taking attention away from Dying While Black. We’re aware of your privilege, now more than ever.
— Danielle Henderson (@knottyyarn) December 4, 2014
RT @originalspin: Please read #CrimingWhileWhite. Proof that there are 2 Americas. 1 that gets off with a wink. And 1 that just gets offed.
— Romany Malco (@romanymalco) December 4, 2014
#AliveWhileBlack, however, was a different story. This hashtag told some of the most harrowing stories I’ve ever read. But, these stories only echo the same stories of mistreatment told by others on the streets during the protests, not to mention the stories of the fates of Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and too many others.
Also, the hashtag had the voices of both men and women. Black women are often victimized by the police, too, and their hurt has to be addressed just as much as the hurt black men face at the hands of police.
As a freshman my mother brought lawyers to school to ensure I could take advanced placement courses, some didn’t want me to #alivewhileblack
— David Johns (@MrDavidJohns) December 5, 2014
I have a college degree, speak two languages besides English. Still won’t save me if I get stopped. #alivewhileblack
— Tanya D. (@cypheroftyr) December 5, 2014
I got pulled over, cop said he pulled me over for “looking like” I was about to start speeding. Car was on cruise control. #AliveWhileBlack
— Alexis (@MusicOverPeople) December 4, 2014
Purse snatched by white man..when found he tld cops I dropped it&he was looking to return.. they believed him over me. #AliveWhileBlack
— Sylvia Obell (@SylviaObell) December 4, 2014
Lots of Beauties tweeting about about being accused of prostitution on the #AliveWhileBlack hashtag. So sad.
— Hello Beautiful (@HelloBeautiful) December 4, 2014
I spend the night in jail for what should be a ticket. No phone call allowed. Ended up being a no show at my BRAND NEW JOB. #AliveWhileBlack
— Elon James White (@elonjames) December 4, 2014
Cops tried to tie me to a brawl at MSG in NYC. Kept asking “Where did you watch the game?” I said “I don’t watch sports.” #AliveWhileBlack
— Elon James White (@elonjames) December 4, 2014
Can’t count number of times I’ve made appointments to see apartments, arrived, and been told there are no more apartments #alivewhileblack
— Alexis G. Stodghill (@lexisb) December 4, 2014
Got raped+robbed. Police took forever to interview me, mentioned that women sometimes lie to hide “gambling, overspending” #AliveWhileBlack
— Jamilah Lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) December 4, 2014
10th grade called our home security system bc the battery was faulty & wouldn’t shut off, cops showed up w guns drawn #alivewhileblack
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) December 4, 2014
Officers threaten to beat me up at traffic stop. File complaint. Nothing happens. All microphones & police car cameras off. #AliveWhileBlack
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) December 4, 2014
Went to police station to report that a white man had sexually assaulted me. Was lectured about how I could ruin his life. #AliveWhileBlack
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) December 4, 2014
A car wrecked into mine– face bleeding, concussed, the police and medial workers told me to stop crying and faking. #AliveWhileBlack
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) December 4, 2014
22. White cops pull me over/out of car at 1am while at red light. Accuse me of prostitution. Detained for 30min. #AliveWhileBlack…& a woman.
— Christina Coleman (@ChrissyCole) December 4, 2014
Let me just state a disclaimer: If there are any police or family members of police reading this, let me just state that I know all police officers aren’t bad. I have some family members who are part of law enforcement, so I’m aware that police officers are also human beings–they have flaws.
I personally have nothing against the idea of police–I just held the door open for a police officer (white) just this week, and the interaction was as kind as it could be. That same police officer also held the door open for another woman behind him, so I realize that there are police who simply want to do their jobs and help people, whether or not they’re minorities (like me and the woman).
However, there are some police officers who are ruining the force for the other good police officers. There’s also a culture (in general) that dictates that some areas of cities (i.e. black, poor ones) must be policed harder than others, which created distrust between those areas of the community and the police.
With that said, what did you think of these two hashtags? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Julian 