Zach Stafford further expands to this and discusses why political respectability does not function, in his report Respectability Politics Won 't save the Lives of Black Americans. Stafford recalls the moment he tried to obtain information to report on the funeral of Sandra Bland and how an older deacon told him “Remember...you have a target on your back. Don’t you ever forget that” (Stafford 5). The deacon’s words made Stafford realize that no matter what profession, he had or how proper he dresses, because he is a black male, he still presents a “danger” to society. The explanation for this is because of the high rate of incarceration and unemployment among the black community, and this conflict reflects on his image despite his success and being “polite” or “acting right”. Furthermore, Stafford believes that it has not worked since “it protects the structural racism that no one ever wants to talk about or challenge” (Stafford 12). Instead of accepting the differences among cultures and challenging racism, “acting right” will have no effect, as minority groups will still be perceived as individuals who are a threat to society and dispirit them from expressing themselves without being negatively
Zach Stafford further expands to this and discusses why political respectability does not function, in his report Respectability Politics Won 't save the Lives of Black Americans. Stafford recalls the moment he tried to obtain information to report on the funeral of Sandra Bland and how an older deacon told him “Remember...you have a target on your back. Don’t you ever forget that” (Stafford 5). The deacon’s words made Stafford realize that no matter what profession, he had or how proper he dresses, because he is a black male, he still presents a “danger” to society. The explanation for this is because of the high rate of incarceration and unemployment among the black community, and this conflict reflects on his image despite his success and being “polite” or “acting right”. Furthermore, Stafford believes that it has not worked since “it protects the structural racism that no one ever wants to talk about or challenge” (Stafford 12). Instead of accepting the differences among cultures and challenging racism, “acting right” will have no effect, as minority groups will still be perceived as individuals who are a threat to society and dispirit them from expressing themselves without being negatively