Didn’t expect this tweet to garner such attention so let’s clear a few things up:
1.) This didn’t occur at UCLA. But no matter where it occurred that doesn’t make it okay, and suggesting the punishment of a single institution for a systemic issue is shortsighted.
1/x
1.) This didn’t occur at UCLA. But no matter where it occurred that doesn’t make it okay, and suggesting the punishment of a single institution for a systemic issue is shortsighted.
1/x
https://twitter.com/abous_k/status/1431634942862135297
2.) I am a large Black man with a Mohawk, earrings, and darker skin than the average Black American. I’m not about to play 21 questions with the police. Suggesting that I do so, or that if I did it would change my predicament…or make it better, is deeply harmful.
2/x
2/x
3.) I grew up in Georgia, went to college in Alabama, went to med school in Missouri, and now live in LA.
This is not the first time I’ve been pulled over (not even this month) yet somehow I’ve only had two incidences in which I could be cited for a cause.
3/x
This is not the first time I’ve been pulled over (not even this month) yet somehow I’ve only had two incidences in which I could be cited for a cause.
3/x
At this point this, I give a history to the police more frequently than I give one to my PCP.
What do I do? I go about my day and my life. Because as I said I’m #Tired.
I went into the hospital like any other work day, I saw my patients, I gave them the care they needed.
4/x
What do I do? I go about my day and my life. Because as I said I’m #Tired.
I went into the hospital like any other work day, I saw my patients, I gave them the care they needed.
4/x
And while I acknowledge my feelings about each encounter, processing as I need and calling my circle of support for the discussions I need to have, when I turned 20 (after having my 10th unnecessary encounter with law enforcement) I made a choice.
5/x
5/x
A choice to pick joy and not let them strip that from me. On days like this I choose extra joy. So that means extra self care, extra conversations with folks I love, and less time focusing on minutia that’s less important.
6/x
6/x
4.) I appreciate all the support.
This single incidence is part of a larger problem. And trying to address it alone is not an adequate solution.
So as always I encourage everyone to continually evaluate their own privilege, strive for a more equitable system…
7/x
This single incidence is part of a larger problem. And trying to address it alone is not an adequate solution.
So as always I encourage everyone to continually evaluate their own privilege, strive for a more equitable system…
7/x
… and do the unlearning necessary to make sure we’re contributing less and less each day to the overall system of inequity.
8/x
8/x
Muting that tweet now as I continue the rest of this day choosing joy.
Because as much as I appreciate all the support and kind words, it never fails to dawn on me that Black folks on this app often get the most interaction when they share negative experiences.
9/x
Because as much as I appreciate all the support and kind words, it never fails to dawn on me that Black folks on this app often get the most interaction when they share negative experiences.
9/x
While the awareness is important. We gotta find a better way to make y’all aware without the need for trauma porn.
10/Fin.
10/Fin.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
