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'Black men are targets': Men seek justice, change amid police killings

Each negative case involving police, Black men takes emotional toll

'Black men are targets': Men seek justice, change amid police killings

Each negative case involving police, Black men takes emotional toll

THESE INCIDENTS ARE ESPECIALLY PAINFUL FOR BLACK MEN. BLACK MEN TELL ME WITH EACH NEGATIVE CASE INVOLVING BLACK MEN AND POLICE. OLD AND NEW WOUNDS ARE OPENED. SOMETIMES THERE’S A BLACK MAN. IT’S ALMOST LIKE AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT JUST MAKE IT HOME. WHEN YOU DEALING WITH IT SITUATION WITH A POLICE OFFICER CREAM MEN, DAMIEN POOLE AND KHALIL ISMAIL OUR EDUCATORS AND ARTISTS. THEY SAY THE EVENTS OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS INVOLVING BLACK MEN AND POLICE HAVE BEEN GUT-WRENCHING FROM GEORGE FLOYD TO THE KILLING OF DANTE WRIGHT AND THE TREATMENT OF ARMY LIEUTENANT QURAN NAZARIO DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IN VIRGINIA. IT’S MILES SAYS IT ALL TAKES A TOLL EM. EVERY TIME SOMEBODY STOPS US. WE’RE ACTUALLY THINKING IS THIS GOING TO BE THE LAST TIME I SEE MY FAMILY MY DAUGHTER MY WIFE AND WHAT DO I DO? SO YOU’RE PLANNING YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO IN THAT SITUATION. WHAT DO I DO TO MAKE SURE THAT MY LIFE IS PRESERVED THEY SHARE THEIR OWN NEGATIVE ENCOUNTERS WITH POLICE. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND OUR TIRE BLEW OUT. WE GOT INTO A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN OUR CAR GUY, RIGHT AND WHEN WE GOT OUT THE CAR POLICE I ASKED HIM FOR HELP AND THEY TOLD ME NO WE’RE GOING TO ARREST YOU BECAUSE WE THINK YOU HAVE DRUGS OR GUNS WHO SAYS THIS IS THE REASON HE DOESN’T OWN A CAR. I THOUGHT ABOUT PURCHASING A CAR RECENTLY AND THEN I WAS LIKE NO, I DON’T KNOW IF I’M NECESSARILY COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING THAT BE A POSSIBILITY FOR ME. SO I WOULD RATHER WALK OR RIDE MY BIKE SPECIFICALLY IN THE UNITED STATES. BLACK MEN ARE TARGETS IN
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'Black men are targets': Men seek justice, change amid police killings

Each negative case involving police, Black men takes emotional toll

Some Black men in Baltimore said old and new wounds are opened with each negative case involving police and Black men.People in the Black community are calling for justice and change amid the killing of George Floyd, the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright this week in Minnesota and the treatment of Army Lt. Caron Nazario during a traffic stop in Windsor, Virginia.Karim Amin, Daimen Poole and Khalil Ismail, who are educators and artists, said the events of the last few weeks involving Black men and police have been gut-wrenching."Sometimes, as a Black man, it's almost like an achievement to just make it home when you're dealing with a situation with a police officer," Amin said.Ismail said it all takes an emotional toll."Every time somebody stops us, we're actually thinking, 'Is this going to be the last time I see my family? My daughter? My wife?' And, 'What do I do?' So you're planning, you're thinking about what you do in that situation. 'What do I do to make sure that my life is preserved?'" Ismail said.The men shared their own negative encounters with police."I was on the highway and our tire blew out. We got into a very serious accident and our car got wrecked. And when we got out of the car, police (arrived), I asked them for help, and they told me, 'No, we're going to arrest you because we think you have drugs and guns,'" Amin said.Poole said this is the reason he doesn't own a car."I thought about purchasing a car recently, and then I was like, 'Nah, I don't know if I'm necessarily comfortable with having that be a possibility for me.' So I would rather walk or ride my bike," Poole said."Specifically in the United States, Black men are targets," Amin said.

Some Black men in Baltimore said old and new wounds are opened with each negative case involving police and Black men.

People in the Black community are calling for justice and change amid the killing of George Floyd, the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright this week in Minnesota and the treatment of Army Lt. Caron Nazario during a traffic stop in Windsor, Virginia.

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Karim Amin, Daimen Poole and Khalil Ismail, who are educators and artists, said the events of the last few weeks involving Black men and police have been gut-wrenching.

"Sometimes, as a Black man, it's almost like an achievement to just make it home when you're dealing with a situation with a police officer," Amin said.

Ismail said it all takes an emotional toll.

"Every time somebody stops us, we're actually thinking, 'Is this going to be the last time I see my family? My daughter? My wife?' And, 'What do I do?' So you're planning, you're thinking about what you do in that situation. 'What do I do to make sure that my life is preserved?'" Ismail said.

The men shared their own negative encounters with police.

"I was on the highway and our tire blew out. We got into a very serious accident and our car got wrecked. And when we got out of the car, police (arrived), I asked them for help, and they told me, 'No, we're going to arrest you because we think you have drugs and guns,'" Amin said.

Poole said this is the reason he doesn't own a car.

"I thought about purchasing a car recently, and then I was like, 'Nah, I don't know if I'm necessarily comfortable with having that be a possibility for me.' So I would rather walk or ride my bike," Poole said.

"Specifically in the United States, Black men are targets," Amin said.