Driving A Jaguar While Young and Black

We headed back to Dallas on Monday, 11-11-02. It was smooth sailing until we got into Greenville, Texas. In our home state. They have a billboard as you enter Greenville that says, "Greenville, You'll like the style." That's a lie especially if you are young African-American and driving a Jaguar.

We were stopped by the police of Greenville, Texas. The female officer came to my window and started talking. She says that we were going 80 miles in a 65 mile zone. I question that greatly. Jerry might have been going 75, but he was not going 80. Anyway, she asked Jerry to step out of the car. Then she began to grill me.

Officer: Where are you all coming from?

Me: Tennessee.

Officer: What were you all doing in Tennessee?

Me: We were at a church conference.

She shines her flashlight in the back of the car.

Officer: What are those in the back of the car?

Me: Oxygen tanks.

Officer: Why are they in the back of the car?

Now, I am thinking to myself, "Common sense should tell you that oxygen tanks are used for breathing."

Me: A friend of ours needed them to breath. We are taking them home for her.

Dumb Officer: Why do you have them?

It should be obvious to anyone that either our friend did not have a way to take them home or that our friend did not have enough room for them.

Me: Our friend flew and she asked us to bring them home for her.

Dumb Officer: Who is the driver to you?

Me: Huh. (I couldn't hear her.)

Dumb Officer: Who is the driver to you?

That should have been obvious to her. My brother and I look like my mother spit us both out at the same time instead of three years apart.

Me: He's my brother.

She walks off and goes to where my brother is.

When my brother got back in the car, this is what he told me.

The dumb female officer asked him,

1. Why did he rent a Jag?
2. When did he rent it?
3. When was he going to take it back?
4. How long was he going to keep it for?
5. Why did we have tanks in the back of our car?

1. The rental company gave it to us. (None of her business).
2. It was listed on the rental agreement which I gave her. (Again I say, none of her business).
3. It was listed on the rental agreement which I gave her. (Again I say, none of her business).
4. It was listed on the rental agreement which I gave her. (Again I say, none of her business).
5. We were transporting them. (She had already asked me that.)

I guess a young black man and woman cannot rent a silver Jaguar XJ8.

Dumb officer. Don't get me wrong, I respect police officers, but racism and stupidity is hard to respect.

Needless to say, Jerry and I plan on writing every official we can find an address or email for in the city of Greenville.

It's a bit ironic. On Friday night (11-8-02) at the Back Home Revival Hour of the Convocation, one of the preacher's said this, "He was alright while he was on the Arkansas side of Texarkana, but when he got on the Texas side of Texarkana, he got into trouble. When they say don't mess with Texas, they mean it."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Our crime was... Driving A Jaguar While Young and Black!