Chris Rock has been posting a lot of selfies on his Instagram account lately. Several of the pictures show one thing in common — he’s getting pulled over by police. Rock has been pulled over not once or twice but three times over the past seven weeks. And these are only the times he’s remembered to take selfies. Rock was also pulled over (as a passenger) during a 2013 episode of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. At the time, Rock joked to Jerry, “If you weren’t here, I’d be scared.” Rock has tackled racial profiling in his comedy routines. Now he’s illustrating his point with photographic evidence.
Isaiah Washington decided to tell Rock how he dealt with the same problem.
I sold my $90,000.00 Mercedes G500 and bought 3 Prius's, because I got tired of being pulled over by Police. #Adapt @chrisrock
— Isaiah Washington (@IWashington) April 1, 2015
Twitter isn’t having it. The #TweetLikeIsaiahWashington hashtag is in full swing like so:
I got tired of being followed around in stores so I just started ordering from Amazon Prime. #ADAPT #TweetLikeIsaiahWashington
— Elon James White (@elonjames) April 1, 2015
Isaiah visited with CNN’s Don Lemon to “clarify” his perspective in a segment called “driving while black?” Some excerpts from the conversation:
Isaiah : “Police are about the business of policing, night and day. I obviously have a slight advantage because I’m a celebrity. … At night, I’m vulnerable like everyone else. I know a lot of people take issue with the hashtag ‘adapt,’ thinking I was implying that white supremacy or racial profiling was stopped if you were in a different car, but that’s not [what I meant]. If you are at war, which we all know that we are, there is a sentiment in the air that is highly toxic and highly negative, and [I wanted my tweet to] excite a conversation.”
Don: “What would you have Chris Rock do. What does he need to change, and why does he need to change it?”
Isaiah: “I really feel that he needs to look at the area that he’s in and even visit with the local police officers in the community. He should do that. He should reach out to the police officers and question why they’re pulling him out.”
Don: “It puts a burden on him that’s not a fair burden.”
Isaiah: “Oh, come on. We have been a people that have created civilization in this world, and I believe we are the people that share the DNA that’s going to recivilize this world again. We have been burdened for 400 years — we can’t use that as an excuse to say, ‘Well, we can’t challenge the system as it is.’ We’ve been marching for years.”
[From CNN Tonight]
Don then showed Isaiah the clip of Rock getting pulled over with Jerry Seinfeld. Isaiah was not amused at how Rock cracked a joke on the show. Isaiah continued to say “yes, the onus is on us” to “survive.” Perhaps Isaiah was kidding about buying three Prius cars instead of one. He definitely wasn’t kidding with the #adapt hashtag.
Stereo Williams of the Daily Beast wrote an in-depth column on this subject that’s well worth reading. Here’s the CNN clip of Don Lemon interviewing Isaiah.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
So what is Rock supposed to do exactly? Go to the police precinct and say “Officers, I just wanted to introduce myself and one of the ‘good ones’. Please don’t profile me”. What kind of mess is that?
I’ve read stories of black families that move into predominantly white neighborhoods and make a point to take their young/teenage sons down to the local precinct for an introduction and explanation that they’re now in the area. Sort of a preemptive, “get to know their faces because I’m sure you’ll be getting phone calls about ‘suspicious-looking’ males walking down the street when it’s actually these young boys simply minding their own business”. Very sad, but not entirely surprising. And surely shouldn’t even have to happen. You’re right…it’s a straight-up mess.
I feel like there was a story about something like that. Where a white couple adopted a black boy and the police were called on him by a neighbor. He was roughed up a bit and the first parents were absolutely appalled because the neighbor should have known that was their son.
@ Amy
That happened in North Carolina. He was roughed up, interrogated, called a liar. And all in his own home. His family was rightly furious.
This happened to this Indian grandfather simply because people mistook him for black:
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/02/indian_citizen_stopped_by_madi.html
good news is the officer that left him paralyzed has been charged.
yes but they know that they are part of the change. people are scared and ignorant, they are trying to change that perception so the next black family maybe doesn’t have to do that. it sucks? yes, but practical. we’re still in the change, the aftermath of the civil rights movement. people and perejudices don’t flip on a dime because you expect them to. you have to help them learn. you don’t want to is your choice, but you’re not helping the rest of us trying to overcome prejudice either.
That doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t feel like it’s undermining the process of overcoming racism to not have to present myself and my family to the local police department if I move into a predominantly white neighborhood just because I’m black. Again I say, what kind of mess is THAT?? We certainly are not living in a post racial society, but that’s because people CHOOSE to remain ignorant. How hard is it to NOT profile black people just because they are black? I refuse to take responsibility for someone else’s ignorance. I agree that you do have to ENCOURAGE people to put aside their prejudices. But you do that by having an open dialog, by making them realize that their ideologies are antiquated and stupid. You DON’T do that by presenting yourselves to the police begging them not to profile you. You can miss with that foolishness.
Chris Rock and rest of world to Isaiah Washington: #shutup.
(Also, you’re not a celebrity anymore. Get over yourself. Chris Rock is a celebrity. And neither of you should have to drive a different car because of your skin color.)
He should not have given up his damn car! He worked hard to buy that car and it is his money to enjoy as he likes.
This argument reminds me a bit of that old saying that if you didn’t want to get raped, you should’ve dressed like a nun.
All of it is such bullsh-t!
Um, that’s kind of everyone’s point, Izzy. He shouldn’t have to switch cars because of his skin color, but this is the kind of thing that’s suggested *only* to black men as a means of not being unfairly targeted simply because their extra melanin doesn’t jibe with the Mercedes they’re commandeering.
I have to agree with him on the point of stop being the victim, be the solution. I also don’t like how when someone is successful in a career field that is not sports or music, they get bashed for being too white. Support each other ya’all! Skin color though for all minorities, the dark skin is still the hardest prejudice to surmount which is sad because dark skin is so beautiful.
I’m not sure what you mean about him being “the solution.” It doesn’t seem that Rock did anything other than drive in a car — it’s really not him that’s the problem here.
How is Chris Rock the problem here? He is being stopped by police officers for seemingly no reason at all. Are they giving him tickets for anything?
What is the solution here? How do you stop the police from pulling you over if you’re doing nothing wrong?
I agree with both Chris Rock and Isaiah Washington and I’m really glad that both sides are being discussed. Yes, adapting is a valuable and practical way to forge ahead and overcome the challenges black Americans face. And yes, that is a completely unfair burden considering American history and Chris Rock (and others) should keep speaking up so that Americans are repeatedly reminded how unfair that burden is, so that white Americans can keep questioning their implicit biases and make changes to their actions and advocate for change.
I think the rhetoric of either/or is damaging, and change will be more forthcoming if we recognize these two approaches are not mutually exclusive.
As a black woman who works hard to get what she wants I’ll be damned if i have to feel like i should be invisible as not to be pulled over. I walk high and tall and it’s my prerogative to flash whatever I want. I am not to adapt to any authorities: they are the one who should know better. Washington is basically “black people should make 2 steps behind and back down. I say “freaking not”! it’s giving power and giving away your rights. And driving a prius won’t prevent you from being pulled over. You were a hoodie, while walking, you might, you walk in your rich neighborhood, you might, you drive a shining bright red vespa you might. And what? whenever i move into a new neighborhood i should a piece of offering of pie to the local cops to introduce myself? Well then Washington, do every gay people who move into your neighborhood knock at your door and introduce him/herself so as you don’t puke your vomit of biggot?
By the way I had a BMW and never was pulled over. Now I drive a Prius and still not the case. My husband who is white gets pull over now and then and we joke about it but it’s because he drives like an old lady.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t driving while black more of an issue for men? Maybe it should be driving while being a black man.
You made me giggle with the image of Chris Rock tooling around on a Vespa!
DWB. Used to happen to my Father all the time. The man was an adorable accountant who worked years to buy that car and whenever he was pulled over would always exit it proudly in his 3 piece suit.
At least for us there was no way to explain the same man being pulls over disproportionately when he drove his fancy car vs his older one without race being a factor.
I am more concerned about racism that impacts people who can’t afford a $90,000 car.
I just can’t with the one percenters.
I think it speaks to the bigger issue of people assuming a black person isn’t successful enough to own a $90,000 car. Racism exists at every social and economic level.
@Evelyn – or the assumption that one in a $90k car must be involved in illegal means in order to have earned enough money to pay for it.
Can’t with what exactly?
That they face the same racism? This doesn’t seem to be Chris whining about something frivolous, this is him showing that racism drags you down whether you’re standing on a corner minding your own neighborhood or a wealthy actor and comedian constantly pulled over because they see a black face behind a steering wheel before they realize it’s Chris Rock and let him go.
Really, what part of the issue can’t you with?
Racism is racism. It doesn’t matter if your driving a $90,000 car or a $900 car you bought as an auction. It’s wrong for it to happen to ANYONE.
I think the onus is on everyone to stand up and say racial profiling is unacceptable, and that everyone needs to be treated equally.
(And maybe Isaiah sold his Mercedes when he got fired from his high-paying TV show and then had trouble getting work for many years?)
BOOM! Got ’em. The fact that he still refers to himself as a celebrity is ridiculous.
Why would he change his car? The police are the ones who need to change attitude and stop being racists… Amazing…
Seriously. All Rock did was drive and be black.
Like cops don’t know who Chris Rock is? His video is used for their training tapes. This is pure bullshit.
Plenty of people don’t know who Chris Rock is. Plenty of people wouldn’t be able to pick Obama out of a collage of other black men. You assume too much, and your seeming outrage is sorely immature and misguided. This is why this kind of BS continues – because of stupidity, ignorance, and blinders as to the reality of a minority experience. Might be a good idea to get out in the world every now and then so you don’t come off so backwards.
Adapt really means ‘be less’.
Which fck that if that’s the lesson to get from this. I get the practicality of it, if the metaphorical hard place isn’t changing then you change to avoid the pain. But realistically if I want to drive a certain kind of car then I’m going to because I don’t owe anyone the right to be less so they can leave me alone.
And yes my old accountant Father would get pulled over a ton when he drove his Mercedes, usually the cops wanted to see ‘what kind of man’ (of color) drove one of these. If he didn’t have the time to spare he’d actually drive his older car rather than risk being pulled over for no reason.
THIS.
Be small. Be tiny. Don’t try and be special. All I hear is Washington describing Rock as being uppity. ‘don’t be so uppity thinking you can drive a nice car’
CORRECT, Adapt is Be quiet, deferential, hide the Bass in your voice, don’t do your hair in a way we find uncomfortable, Don’t dance that way, don’t speak up
#adaptmyass Planet Chappelle here we come! 🚀
Adapt is what a lot of people of color especially immigrants do who are just too damned over the moon the be in the US at least that has been my experience. I had an interesting conversation with a “think they pass for white” Hondurans – the self hate and ignorance is real. Both brought up the #blacklivesmatter movement. Basically criticizing it. I said if you want to live like a second class citizen go right ahead. I don’t. This is my country too.
Furthermore, most of the rights and benefits you take for granted are due the sacrifices of black people. Literally dying for the rights you enjoy. I added don’t get it twisted either. White people feel folks from the Caribbean and all the countries on this continent except Canada (just the 3rd world countries – hate that phrase) should be happy to have in door plumbing, paved streets, and happy to work for pennies and on and on. (I know this because I’ve been in company of some very casual racists.) And by the way you’re not white at least not here in the US. Talk about shock and awe.
Isaiah is an idiot. He shot himself in the foot with this antics and his homophobia backstage at the awards show sealed his fate. He got what he deserved. And this latest BS show he should have a script FOR LIFE.
Alpine is a tiny little town that makes all its money from pulling over drivers on the highway. Their police officers are primarily revenue collectors, and they don’t give a fig what kind of car you’re driving.
The video is blocked here. Was Rock speeding? Go through a stop sign? If not, then it matters that the cop thought he could intimidate someone who committed no crime or moving violation, based on some ‘suspicion’ that no black man can afford to drive a nice car, unless he is doing something illegal to pay for it. Do they pull over all high priced cars? Do they pull over every car?
I wonder about this too. What exactly was the reason he was pulled over? Is he actually a bad driver and that’s why he’s getting pulled over? I only ask because I’m not reading about other black celebrities being profiled. If they are, they are keeping pretty quiet about it. It seems odd that it would only be happening to him, if he isn’t doing anything to warrant being pulled over.
Now, if he really is being pulled over for no reason then yeah–absolutely that needs to be publicized and stopped immediately. If it’s rooted in racism then those officers need to be severely disciplined or even fired. It’s 2015 and there is just no room in this country for that kind of racist behavior anymore.
Do you think celebrities report everything that happens?
DWB – Driving While Black is a common occurrence depending on where you live. I live in the far north east away from La La Land Hollywood and there’s counties where when you enter you act ‘right’ because you know you’ll be pulled over for any little thing. I had a friend pulled over for going 8 miles above the speed limit. This county has also made the news for the disproportionate amount of tickets given to black drivers when whites are the majority.
Being pulled over doesn’t always mean getting a ticket which is the painful irony. They can pull you over a million times without any evidence of it and the nicer the car while DWB the more likely they’ll stop you just to see if you’re selling drugs before cutting you loose.
Clearly, there is a lot of denial in the US which is why an honest conversation about race and how differently minorities are policed will not be had any time soon. If Chris was in the wrong, why hasn’t the police dept said why they pulled him over? If he was doing anything illegal you better believe we’d know it by now. Oh and by the way, they lie like rugs.
Forrest Whitaker has been pretty vocal about being profiled in NYC.
I’m not gonna get involved in telling black people how they should feel about the current state of racism, but I just wanted to express how disgusted I am with what happened to Rock, and for every black person that lives in fear of law enforcement.
Also, I’ve been seeing some really frustrating posts in my FB feed with the #copslivesmatter hashtag.
It depresses me to see white folks care so little about PoC.
I agree. I think a change is possible, because so many clearly egregious things have happened in this last year or two that it’s impossible for good people of any color to ignore. This crap needs to stop yesterday.
@kitten
i live in seattle where black folks are a fairly small minority, the covert racism here is really awful. Every time I go into a store with my friend who is a POC we are followed by the clerks it really is EVERY single time! He doesn’t drive, for several reasons, one of which is he doesn’t want to be harassed.
Sorry, not trying to nitpick but where in Seattle do you live? Trying to not make a Bellevue or Mercer Island joke here…
I agree. One of my friends was surrounded by 9 officers with guns drawn last week, and he had to convince them he was harmless. Based on what I see on the news every night, I know he very easily could have been shot. He is the farthest thing from a criminal, really an honest and upstanding guy, and yet even he has to have this near death experience.
I am so tired of the separate version of “justice” my fellow citizens who happen to be minorities are served. It is so, so wrong. It makes me want to cuss and throw things.
I was pulled over for speeding 10 times before I ever got a ticket. Once I was going 50 in a 25. 90 in a 55. (So wrong, I know). But because I had a wholesome smile, I was always told to just go on my way. I know not everyone receives the same treatment.
Ugh how awful! I wonder how many POC are walking around with undiagnosed PTSD from this sh*t.
Well thank you for looking at the situation, seeing it for what it is, and sympathizing.
Race relations in this country are terrible and they become even more disastrous when one party has a gun and a badge to protect them. There’s a recent video circulating of a ‘top cop’ losing his mind at some poor Middle Eastern driver because the man honked at the officer parking without using a turn signal in an unmarked car. Suffice to say racism, xenophobia, and so much rage comes out that the driver’s white passengers start recording and get down the officer’s plate number and rage.
I’ve heard the excuses defending the officer and while I’m sympathetic to the stresses of his job I can’t help but think how al these individual tics add up to someone else losing their lives. its a frustrating confounding issue that will not be solved by being ‘good’ as Isaiah suggests or focusing on the police force because many whites benefit from not knowing the levels of discourse and danger faced by other minorities in officer interactions.
Don’t know if this has been posted before, but this is a perfect example of how important it is for all people to take seriously (and not disregard it as “pulling the race card”) when a person of color says he/she has a reason to fear law enforcement:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/norbertobriceno/watch-the-difference-between-a-white-guy-and-a-black-guy-com#.qmZ17nJE9x
Ugh, another one. Smh. How is buying a different car or going to the police station and introducing himself challenging the system? I’m sure the cops figure out who Chris is as soon as they get to his window. How is basically bending over backwards to not get profiled challenging anything? This man needs to go back under his rock and shut up because he sounds dumb.
Can you imagine how pissed off and suspicious the police would be, if every black person showed up at the police station, to announce that they aren’t criminals? That is f_cking absurd.
Although it would make for a hilarious skit. You just know the police would throw them in the tank for some obscure law about overwhelming law enforcement, or some other thing. Have you ever actually gone to a police station? They look at you like you are an @sshole from the get, if you are there to report anything lower than a murder. I once went to report theft, and they were annoyed, at best.
Can you imagine how pissed off and suspicious the police would be, if every black person showed up at the police station, to announce that they aren’t criminals?
I actually kind of wish that would happen Kiddo. Just to prove exactly how absurd it is.
Lol. That would be quite funny actually. Everyone just walk in and say hey. The way these cops are carrying on though, they might just beat everyone and throw them in holding because they feel threatened.
I went to get a criminal check to volunteer with a vulnerable sector and they looked less than impressed that I was there. Guess they wanted to stare off into space uninterrupted.
Isaiah has perpetual foot in mouth disease it seems. Oh honey chile no. The onus is not on Chris Rock or any other person who’s been racially profiled to adapt. But lets play out his advice just for sh*ts and giggles. So you introduce yourself to the local cops in your community. You wear nice non- hoody clothes and drive a Prius. Then you go to another city, another state and you get pulled over for driving while black again. Now what Isaiah? How many cops do you have to get acquainted with to not get pulled over?
Oh and by the way, Chris Rock is challenging the system by raising awareness of just how systemic racism is. That’s why he’s documenting his experiences via selfie. And that’s why the conversation is being had.
When even Don Lemon is baffled by your answers and shaking his head then you know you make zero sense at all. Isaiah Washington needs to take his head out of the sand.
I think his head is clearly embedded in a different part of his anatomy. In his mind, it seems a white person can drive whatever he or she wants without introducing themselves to the cops and probably speed, but a person of color should drive a down market car very slowly and let the cops know they are not crooks. It looks even worse when you write it down!!
But if the person of color drove very slowly in a down-market car, then people would call saying “there is a suspicious black man casing my neighborhood”…
@chaine. And therein lies the tale and the entire terrible point about being profiled. “Driving while black”, no matter where, or what the circumstances can get you in trouble.
I’m gonna buy all my family and friends of color Richard Nixon shirts that say “I am not a crook” and have them wear it every day, especially when driving. Genius!
Gotta love good ole respectability politics. As if that helps black people not get profiled on a daily basis…
Who moved his rock? Because he needs to get right back under it.
He was outed as a bonafide a$$hole years ago. I’m not surprised he’s in the news again for saying dumb stuff.
Has anyone seen the trailer for the NWA biopic–Straight Outta Compton. Universal is putting it out this summer. It looks effing amazing and I can’t wait to see it.
He’s an idiot.
I’m just posting to say what a positive discussion this is. Yay for celebitchy!
It is insane how big of a race problem we have in the U.S.
The other day I was in a grocery parking lot and a white man walked towards me(I’m black), when I noticed that he was getting really close, I assumed a defensive posture and in my mind I was getting ready for some BS (I live in the south). Turns out he was from Holland and just wanted to know if there was a park near by. It didn’t even occur to him that black people and white people in the south that don’t already know eachother don’t get close like that. I could literally feel all of the muscles in my body relax when he started talking. I hate to think of myself as someone that is afraid. But the truth is I feel like I’m in danger all the time down here. We talked for a few minutes, and it felt great.
That stinks. Your amygdala is always on high terror alert, whether you’re aware of it or not.
Aapt huh? Sounds suspiciously like the homophobic comments that got him kicked off Grey’s. Same BS. If only Black people would… then racists wouldn’t what, be racist ?If only gay people would not be so gay, then homophobes wouldn’t have hate towards them. Why is all the onus on the marginalized group to effect change ?
Thank you for sharing this, it’s not sexy big for coverage on most of the goss blogs….
I can’t even imagine what it must take to walk through this world as a black man, as an African American woman with a college degree and middle class pedigree I can not even begin to tell you how many times I have been followed around stores to the point that I often felt an anger and frustration that was nearly palatable. In college I worked in retail and was told quite explicitly to follow any black men closely because the ONLY reason they would be in the store (a bookshop) was to steal. The owners were quite vigilant about this, and I was forced to treat customers in the same humiliating fashion I have been subjected to. I am lucky in I have avoided many runs with the police this weeks to be more prevalent problem for me , but I certainly understand the rage and sadness it causes.
I will say that straight up, it’s ridiculous, this whole mess. America is a f’ing mess right now when it comes to race and the police especially. And I see the value in Chris Rock sharing his indignities in a humorous way. But I also see where Washington is coming from, in that his small children had a freaking gun pulled on them for no good reason – had that been a white celebrity it would have been headline news, so I totally get where his defensive and more pro-active line took him. Of COURSE Chris Rock shouldn’t have to drive a Prius or go to his local police station, but do you know what, if famous African American men and women started using their power in a more pro-active way, what could it hurt? He has the rare ability to shine a world spotlight on the problem, to have access. He could hold a police only comedy show, he could do something to try to make a change instead of just pointing out he is a victim. Should this onus be on him? Absolutely not, but things are in a dire state, I for one would like to see more prominent African Americans calling the police out in a public way, but also starting a dialogue – I really think that’s all Washington was asking for.
The racism in the way the police profile drivers is disgraceful. The police work for us, FFS, and I want them out there solving real crimes, not hassling innocent people who are merely trying to go about their daily lives!
In contrast to Chris Rock’s experience… as a middle aged white lady driving a nice-ish car in an urban area, I never get stopped. I do drive carefully, but like most people, sometimes I don’t realize what the speed limit is or I accidentally slide through a yellow-turning-red light. Got a speeding ticket in the mail about 7 years ago, but the last time I was pulled over by an actual officer when I was driving… it has to be over 10 years ago.
Did he ever say why he was pulled over? I know the issue being discussed is that he’s continually being pulled over because he’s a minority, but maybe he speeds or runs stop signs and he is legitimately being pulled over to assess his driving behavior?