What racial profiling feels like

New York Times Upfront; 2/7/2003; By Jemelleh Nurse, 17

DECATUR, GEORIA--Over the summer, I was invited to a pool party at a friend's house in the Atlanta suburbs. My friend lives in a predominantly white neighborhood, but that had never been an issue. I yelled to my mother, "I'm leaving now, I'll call you when I get there." She jokingly yelled back, "OK, stay out of trouble."

As I got to my friend's house, three of my other friends pulled up: two boys and a girl, all black. The boys wore hats with the brims facing backward, swim trunks, and white T-shirts. The girl and I had on swimsuits, skirts, and flip-flops. We got out of our cars and started up the driveway. When we heard footsteps coming up behind us, we turned around to see a white police officer.

We politely asked him if we needed to move our cars became we thought that was the reason he was following us. When he did not reply, we asked again. He said, "No." We continued up the driveway and the officer, now rushing toward us, ordered us to get on the ground, face down. We turned around to make sure he was talking to us and he yelled again, "Get on the ground, face down!" We did as we were told.

The officer asked what we were doing and who lived in the house. We answered all of his questions. Luckily, our friend happened to walk out of her house, with her parents. We thought it was OK to get off the ground, but as soon as we moved, the officer pulled out his gun. I did not know whether to be scared or upset. I was a little of both. The idea of lying face down on the wet ground with a gun pointed at me for walking up a driveway was preposterous! The officer finally let us go, but it was too late. By then, he had already stripped me of my dignity.

We went into the house to get cleaned up while my friend's dad talked to the officer. The officer told him that the police were looking for a guy who had stolen a car. I guess because we are black, we automatically became suspects. The officer left without any expression of regret. I was left to ponder his actions and the issue of racial profiling.

I have never had trouble with police officers, but I now realize they are people and they carry their own judgments. I can't fault them for being human, but I can fault them for using their positions of power in an abusive way.

People fear what they don't understand. Many people, through education, are gaining a better understanding of those of other races. But until society decides that the color of your skin doesn't determine your values or upbringing, then racial profiling will continue.