Black Actress Danièle Watts Mistaken For Prostitute By LAPD

Photo Courtesy of www.beliefnet.com
Photo Courtesy of www.beliefnet.com

 

 

A black actress who has even appeared in such megahits as Django Unchained?was detained by the LAPD on Thursday this week.

Dani?le Watts was shown giving affection to her white husband, Brian Lucas, when two officers allegedly mistook them as a prostitute and client. Watts did refuse to give her ID and was handcuffed and placed in a police cruiser.

Ms. Watts described the incident on her Facebook page, saying:

Today I was handcuffed and detained by 2 police officers from the Studio City Police Department after refusing to agree that I had done something wrong by showing affection, fully clothed, in a public place.”

Dani?le went on to relate her experience with those she remembers hearing about from her father. He had numerous negative experiences with the police. She says:

As I was sitting in the back of the police car, I remembered the countless times my father came home frustrated or humiliated by the cops when he had done nothing wrong. I felt his shame, his anger, and my own feelings of frustration for existing in a world where I have allowed myself to believe that ?authority figures? could control my BEING? my ability to BE!!!!!!!”

These words are so poignant. It seems that generations of black and brown people have same shared experiences. There has no doubt been racial progress, but we are constantly reminded that there is a lot of work still to be done.

Ms. Watts was doing absolutely nothing wrong. She was even “dressed like a prostitute.” Never mind the fact that one’s dress does not always define who they are to begin with. There seems to be some interesting and racial stereotypes at play here.

A black woman kissing a white man triggered, knowingly or not, a feeling of a prostitute-client relationship before a wife-husband one. This is 2014. This is California, a state that is often seen as liberal.

I remember seeing a response to this story on Twitter that spoke volumes to me. The woman, who will go unnamed, simply re-tweeted the link to this story while adding “I’m tired.” Yes. Many of us are simply tired. Tired of having to prove that we are something?other than how we may be perceived. Tired of feeling like criminals. Tired of it all.

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I was born on January 13, 1990. I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. I moved up north and attended the University of CT from 2008 to 2012. I currently also work at a law firm in Uptown Charlotte and have been helping with this organization entitled the National Independent Voter Coalition. My interests include: Politics (obviously), Basketball (playing and watching) and watching almost any sport, movies, reading, the law, human rights, entertainment, mostly Angelina Jolie and Beyonce. I am fun, caring, passionate, intelligent, and unique!