Walking While Black: Price Lomonte, Grosse Pointe, and the Call That Should Never Have Been Made

A Black man was walking down a public sidewalk in Grosse Pointe, Michigan — a wealthy white suburb of Detroit. A neighbor called the police. Several officers descended on him. They told him he was under investigation. Then they changed it — they were just checking on him because he looked lost. They ordered him off the sidewalk. They got in his face. One officer screamed at him. One officer called him an idiot. His name is Price Lomonte. He knew his rights. Michigan has no stop-and-identify law. The police had no choice but to let him go. Today we talk about what happened, what 39 million 911 calls across 14 cities tell us about calls like this one, and why knowing your rights is still the difference between walking home and something else entirely. Let's have this conversation.00:00 — Disclaimer01:01 — Introduction02:34 — Thesis: Walking while Black is not a metaphor — it is a documented, data-supported reality with a measurable risk profile04:13 — Opening: Price Lomonte, Grosse Pointe, Michigan — a neighbor called, several officers came, and a Black man on a public sidewalk was told he was under investigation for walking08:01 — Background: What the research says — Carnegie Mellon and Duke's 39 million 911 calls, the Berkeley Possibility Lab findings, and why unfounded suspicion calls are not random12:21 — The Data: Black civilians 55% more likely to experience force, Michigan's no stop-and-identify law, and why the officer's claim that racial profiling cannot happen from a call is false16:54 — Personal Thoughts: The preparation Black men carry into every public space — the rehearsed rights, the calculated composure, the labor that white men walking in Grosse Pointe never have to do23:16 — Close/Action Step: Know your state's stop-and-identify laws — because knowing what Price Lomonte knew is the difference between a tense walk home and something elseAtlanta Black Star — atlantablackstar.comAmerican Economic Review — Hoekstra & Sloan 2022Carnegie Mellon / Duke University Study — 39 million 911 callsBerkeley Possibility Lab — California Policy LabACLU Know Your Rights — aclu.orgFollow the show wherever you get your podcasts.Goodpods Podcast🏆 #2 in the Top 100 Personal Journals Monthly chart🏆 #2 Podcast of the Month — Personal Journals🏆 #6 in the Top 100 Personal Journals Weekly chart🏆 #7 in the Top 100 Cult Monthly chart🏆 #8 in the Top 100 Business News Monthly chart🏆 #9 in the Top 100 Cult Weekly chart