#ExistingWhileBlack: The Psychological Effects of Racial Profiling

Today on Midday, a conversation about what has come to be known as the Black Tax. It is imposed on people of color, in different ways, and in different places, every day. Reports of hate crimes are on the rise, and in 2017, once again, African Americans were targeted more than any other group. And in the last few months, social media has been rife with example after example of people of color being harassed in public spaces, by white people. A 7th grader mowing a lawn, a group of Black women playing golf, a former White House staffer moving into his apartment in Manhattan, a graduate student at Yale taking a nap. Dr. Kimberly Moffitt is an associate professor of American Studies at UMBC. She’s also in the departments of Africana Studies and Language, Literacy and Culture. She studies subjects ranging from Black hair to body politics and Disney movies.Dr. Lester Spence is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Spence specializes in black politics, racial politics, urban politics, and public opinion. His latest book is called Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics.Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.