Former CNN anchor and current BET host T.J. Holmes was pulled over near his Atlanta home yesterday for what he called in a tweet "driving while black."
Driving while black ain't no joke! instagr.am/p/NtNk4mt9Xg/
— TJ Holmes (@tjholmes) July 30, 2012
T.J. joined Michael Eric Dyson last night as "kind of a reluctant guest" to explain the incident and discuss the racial divisions that still pervade American life.
Holmes explained he was about 1.5 miles from his house when a police car started following him closely, for at least a mile or two.
"(I) knew something was up," said Holmes. "I anticipated his lights coming on. Sure enough, they did."
Holmes explained (and demonstrated) that whenever he's pulled over the police, he sticks his arms out the window and crosses his hands so that the officer can see that he's not an immediate threat.
“You do that because you’re a black man and you don’t want them to think you have a gun or anything," Dyson clarified for the audience.
“I don’t want that officer nervous when he walks up to the door," Holmes said. "That's just something literally my mother has taught me to do."
Holmes said he specifically asked several times why was he stopped.
The officer said it was make sure he had insurance on the car.
"He even asked me for a bill of sale on the car," said Holmes. "He wasn't rude or anything necessarily, but he didn't have a reason for pulling me over. And I was, I was frustrated at the time, Dyson, and I tweeted about it."
"But then, all day today, I have wondered if maybe I made a mistake. And if I did something wrong by inflaming people's emotions. Because by using that phrase "driving while black" and putting that out, immediately, there were two sides, clearly polarized on the issue. One side, mothers, fathers, young black men who have gone through this experience or has had one go through it.
And then another side that called me a racist. The N word has been thrown around today. Been called other names saying there you go using the race card. And this, you talk about post-racial country, well, we can`t have a conversation about race ever because this is the -- it happens every single time. We go to our corners, we come out, we fight for a round, beat the crap out of each other, and go back to our corners and get ready to fight again and nothing gets done."
Holmes said he hopes that by talking about his experience, it will "put a face and name on [the injustice of racial profiling]" which "happens to a lot of people who are not going to have a voice."
Indeed, Bureau of Justice statistics show that black drivers are about three times as likely to be searched during a traffic stop compared to whites, and two times as likely as Hispanics.
The BET host said he complied with the officer’s requests but later filed a complaint with the police department.
"I'm not naming the officer. I'm not naming the police department yet because I want to go to them and try to make an improvement in my local community before I put them on blast."
Holmes, who left CNN for BET Networks in December 2011, will debut his new comedic news show on October 1, titled "Don't Sleep With T.J. Holmes."
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This Bull$hit is still in the news?
Go away TJ holmes, give it a rest already, stop cashing on the race card all the time.
This ain't the 1950's any more.
But this the low rent crap is what dyson lives for.
In other news re regs are just simple minded terrorist that haven't figured out how to rig explosives to their underwear.
TJ is a dope anyway.
he gets pulled over and doesn't like it, so who does?
Get over it, move on, write a book, go on your TV and vent.
Or better yet just go away.
CNN hasn't missed him one bit.
Thanks, TJ for bringing attention to this issue, that many of us see as a part of life. It is still amazing that, through all the testimony, mine included, that some Americans can't see that racial profiling is REAL. It is evidence that the institution of racism is alive and kicking in our society. Some truly believe that a person of color could never be innocent, or a law enforcement officer could do no wrong.
Ed, It seems to me only a few months ago two White Reporters were pulled over, forcibly removed from their car and beaten by a large group of Blacks. Never heard about that on your show, wonder why? Every one knows Public Sector Union Members are nearly exempt from disciplinary action, so what is your point here? You going to go after the Union for protecting the racists in the Union?
Right and in other news ez just doesn't know what to say or think unless Fox news tells him.
God, if it was on faux it must be true. We all know what a high integrity faux has.
And the ed show is such pure fact most of us need the use of a layman so we can understand the ed show facts.
That and a few glasses of Kool-Aid.
Drink that tea!
Whomi.....Hope you are doing well? I don't know why I asked. Seemed to be appropriate to do so for some reason.
@2ex, what the heck are you rambling about?? Are you ok? Or are you one of those so feeble-minded as to make @!$%# up, or believe everything they're told just because they may want to believe it.
People like this ez happen across the political spectrum. But for some reason, for what can only be for reasons of integrity and principles, the left and centrists generally manage to resist following the rightwing example of dipping themselves in @!$%#.
It is so predominant in the right, that it has become habitual for many of them to smother themselves in such bull@!$%# and then delusionally think it's glorifying to strut straight into the public square reeking to high heaven.
Once again here is the race card. Fact: There is no such thing as Racism. It should be dropped from all speech. The only people that spew this haterd are the liberal press and their cult members. People like Ed, Rachael and Larry. These three people do more harm to the United States than all the KKK members ever did. If the MSNBC hosts would stop lying and quit spewing hatred we could live in todays world together. MSNBC wants to live in the past and call people names if you do not join their cult.
dav
First, I think this TJ guy is a "standup" guy for the way he is handling his issue. Great attitude and I wish him well. Notice that Sharpton never once was mentioned.
Second, your analysis of the MSNBC bunch is exactly correct.
No such thing as racism... Right...
From the same people who say there's no such thing as evolution...
dave -- if you hate MSNBC so much, why are you here?
Leave... I don't think you'll be missed.
Already Gone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_0ilJ1ibgE
There must be evolution, Obama is still evolving, MSNBC reported that so it must be true.
There must be evolution, Obama is still evolving, MSNBC reported that so it must be true.
Follow Up: as far as racial profiling goes, you do not have to be a genius to figure some crimes out, for example, Drive by shooter......black guy.......serial killer.....white guy.........nuff said.
Once again the KKK has shown up to whine that blacks get all the breaks.
once again the pig-headed use the race card or KKK card. MSNBC uses it every single day, now the left lunatic regulars here bring it up so much you wonder just who is racist. Sick of hearing about it. people voted for obama because he sounded nice..well that didnt help a heck of a lot. If you didnt vote for obama, your a racist, pure BS. and by the way, MSNBC is free for everyone to comment on events, so dont go telling me to go to FOX..i come here to watch how pathetic people can get with their ignorance and lack of tolerance..some preach equality here, some tolerance, i see none of it from the left..finally i'm putting what i have seen from so many regulars here in wriiting. some are for same sex marriage, some are not, that is their choice, live with it. some people get pulled over for a light out or a missing tag..it happens to white people also, most people vote for who they want too and that is their choice, some people like to work for a living and hope to get rich..thats their choice, not yours, so get a job and stop freeloading. :)
To bad for you that wasn't what TJ was pulled over for, he was pulled over because he was a black man dressed well driving a new model car. After pulling him over the police said it was to check to see if he was insured that is bull@!$%# because with lap tops in patrol cars today they can run you plate and know if you are insured or not. Just because you made up a bunch of reasons for police to pull someone over doesn't mean that is what happened especially since TJ said they pulled him over to check his insurance papers.
I drive 50 to 60 thousand miles a year and I can't tell you how many times I've been stopped to check registration or for some other vague reason. I just wish they'd pull that idiot that just flies by me and almost runs me off the road, daily. Just tell him in cities where the crime rate is high, unfortunately he may suffer more than some others. I use to work at a company where some of the people would cheat to make their quotas and what really killed me everyone got punished. I'd just wanted to get rid of those scumbags that made me have to suffer because of them when I wasn't doing anything wrong.
whom.......no KKK whinning, just Ed, Rachael, Larry and Now you, spewing the hatred in todays world. Only liberals spew this kind of venom that tries to divide America. But in this election, the people that voted for Obama to prove that they were not Racists will vote for Romney to prove that they are not idiots.
dave~~There are no racist liberals. It is always the rightwing nuts, who play the race card and try to label liberals as racist. T J did not lose his cool or his integrity, when reporting this incident of racial profiling, but you and your ilk of racist, are the first to play the race card just because he reported the facts in a civil manner. John Kasich, republican governor of Ohio, shows a fine example of bigoted, rabid, racist, republican, rant against, police officers for doing their job of stopping him for speeding job.
Gov. John Kasich calls police officer 'idiot' for giving him traffic ... you ever been stopped by a police officer that's an idiot," Kasich ... you may even be against
great granny, the racist card is pulled every freakin day on msnbc and now here in the comments from idiots who just cant handle someone else thinking differently then them.. soap cleans skin, hate speech and race labeling is harder to clean off.
Bill Morin~~I watch MSNBC every day all day long. I have never heard anyone on MSNBC say anything racist. You have a right to your opinion, but on this issue, your opinion is wrong. Most of the people who work on MSNBC, speak clearly enough that most everyone knows, to which political party they lean. But, all of them, show patriotism, honesty, integrity, compassion and civility, toward all American citizens, without any racism, bigotry and/or hatred, unlike the fox lies and propaganda channel. When MSNBC, speaks to an elected official or a campaigner, they always stick to facts, by presenting charts, graphs, maps and in their own words on tape, unlike fox who continues telling the same lies over and over and over again, causing the fox watchers to believe the lies and propaganda as truth. Everything that rolls off the lips of a republican is a lie.
@GreatGran101
Wow if you really watch MSNBC all day long and had never heard anything racist then I would say that you are immune or you blinded or a racist yourself. on the Chris Matthews show Dan Rather (biggest liberal of all) when talking about Pres. Obama trying to sell the health care bill to the American people said and I qoute "Obama couldn't sell watermelons in the middle of the street if he had the State police stopping traffic" or when ED/ or MSNBC edited the tape to make it seem that Rick Perry when talking about the debt was talking about Obama. or the tape of Zimmerman and there is so much more that I could go on all night
Funny how when the tea bagged republican gets pulled over for speeding, running stop lights, rolling stops, they always whine that the cops should be out catching criminals instead of harassing them for their law breaking activities. Getting pulled over for breaking traffic laws is harassment getting pulled over for being black is just good police work. Got to love how they just can't grasp anything outside of themselves.
Once again, only the Republicans do not like getting pulled over by the FUZ.
I guess you liberals just love it, live for it, enjoy every minute of being pulled over.
"Thanks officer for this $$$$$$ ticket". "Can you write a few more?"
And the cops never ask what political party you run with now do they?
This nothing more than a no body TV jock trying to make a name for him self.
He just mad he was not on TV drooling over the killings in Aurora.
If I wanted your and your sock puppets opinion I would ask Karl Rove for it.
I'm from GA, white, and glad to not live there now. GA is a backward, redneck state, and other than Miss., derives more federal funding than any other states. It is a crude, ignorant, fascist environment. It is an old whiteboy bastian that still underpays all but the egomaniacal redneck whiteboy. Unfortunately, if u r anything other than a white redneck, u can expect to be pulled over while driving or just walking. It is a fact of life in the south. They still fly the rebel flag, an are proud of having the KKK entrenched in their culture. If u r one of the naysayers, u either don't live in the south or ur a rascist pig also.
Isnt Herman Cain from GA?
Same for Tn. as for Ga!
Where do you live now Francene? Sounds like San Fransicko to me. No offense, but all of your statements could have been construed as racist to me. Are all whites from the south racist? Seems.......
Before You Accuse Me (Take a Look at Yourself)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbH465t6tcA
When I live in Vegas I used to get off the bus on 5th street because I could cut through a certain apartment complex also where the dope was sold. Mostly hispanics and blacks living there selling dope. I can recall 4 times cops stop me and asked me what I was doing in that area because I was white. This is a true story cops often stop people because of their skin color because of the area they are in.
Glad to hear about Wendy. The doctors expect a full recovery. :-)
This is obviously an issue if parents of AA children have had and still do teach their children to exercise extra caution when being pulled over by a law enforcement officer. Why is it when Ive been pulled over I dont hesitate to grab my insurance and registration card along with my driver's license before the officer approaches my vehicle but TJ Holmes must exercise extreme caution before doing so? This certainly has to do with racial profiling and its embarrassing to realize such in 2012.
The new racism is denial of its existence. Before a problem can be addressed it must be acknowledged. Denying its existence makes you a part of the problem. I certainly hope that TJ Holmes feels absolutely comfortable speaking about this abhorrent incident often, early and loudly. Too many of us do not have a voice or a means to express it to bring the issue to light, thankfully TJ does.
Thank you TJ for bravely discussing your personal experience. Now, all of us need to do our part to address it and solve the issue immediately!!
and people who throw the race label on everything out there because of political differences are the worst kind and your not helping the situation, and if it makes one feel better to label someone..then you need therapy for your own personal hatred.
I don't know every time I'm pulled over I put my right hand on the steering wheel, on the 1 o'clock position roll down the drivers side window far enough for me to speak and hand my papers to the police but not far enough down for the police to stick their head in the window, then place my left hand at the 11 o'clock mark. I sit there not moving until the police come up and ask for my paper work, I then inform them that I need to get my wallet out, then inform them to do so I have to unfasten my lap belt, which I do slowly keeping my hands in view at all times. For the other paper work I don't carry in my wallet, I carry in a pouch on the sun visor, that way I don't have to open my glove box. Also another thing to remember keep any and all tools locked in the trunk, a hammer and a screw driver laying on the floor or seat can lead to you being arrested for carrying burglary tools. If asked to get out of your car always lock and shut the car door when exiting, that way police can not search your car, a friend of mine was tied to a armed robbery because he had a sales receipt from a store that was robbed 10 minutes after he left, remember anything you say or anything police find will be used against you in a court of law.
Well bm if you don't understand racism then you should not use the words race label. Being pulled over for driving while black is very well known except to the righties who seem to deny that it happens. It happens so much that black comedians and screen writers use it all the time on stage as well as the movies. That the only people in the country who seem to not get it are tea bagged republicans. I would suggest you offer a black person a ride, after 9 pm, home but tea bagged republicans won't let blacks near their cars so its pointless to suggest they try it in order to find out how fast they attract police attention.
Really the best you can do is a mommy slur from the 3rd grade, really.
I dont have to offer a black person a ride..i have african americans and jamaican in my family. nice try. we dont live in the stone age harping on race.
Right I just bet you do. Oh wait that is right you are a lying tea bagged republican posting for Koch dollars.
whomi #15.3....... Offer a black person a ride after 9pm? I hope you don't mean stop and pick up this person along side of the road unless you know them. I'm sure I must have misunderstood you. It would be a rare occasion for me to pick up anyone regardless of race at any time these days. Out here in the real world as I've said we good people and that includes you have to suffer for the scumbag's actions whether they are white, black or any other race. I can't ignore reality. I have to face it every day.
Officer: "Drivers license, proof of insurance and registration please sir"
tj: "Do you know who the f--k I am?" "And why in the f--k did you pull me over, can't you f--king see I'm driving".
Officer: "no need to be rude sir"
tj, time to tweet after I give him the f--king carp.
tj: "Here is every motherf--king thing"
Officer: "Hold on sir".
And the tweets begin yippy skippy.
And cow man makes up some more nonsense because that is what people who lie do.
Well of coarse I made it up. It's called writing, I was expressing my ability to scribe some humor over the whole deal, understand now?
But just the same, thanks for clearing the air.
No you are just proving that you lie.
Your being a clown is usually enough.
We always laugh at you.
Im a 50yr old blavk woman in Atlanta for the last 2yrs. I drive a bmw and have been stopped by the police saying he was checking to see if i had insurance. So either the police doing random insurance checks( on blacks) or call it what it is RACIAL PROFILING!
I see people coming from all over the world to live here. They want to live here so bad some do it illegaly. My suggestion for people who dont like getting pulled over by the police is to move to another country. I remember when I was working 2nd they had a roadblock on the backroads he asked for my driver licease and I gave it to him and he said have a nice night. The next night they had it again this time the cop knew me he said you must me just getting off work have a good night. They must have been looking for somebody they thought was driving without a licease because they were there the 3rd night as well. I took the other way home the other nights of the week. Bottom line nobodys forcing anybody to live here your free to go.
if you think that T J is wrong then put on black face and walk down any street USA.
Your free to leave this country any time you want. If its that bad then go some where that it will be better. last time I checked slavery ended back in the 1860s so if you dont like being pulled over leave this country if its so bad. Im white and I have been stoped for being white but didnt I cry about? No I showed my ID and went on about my business. This guy seems like a cry baby to me so what if you got pulled it happens to everybody not just black people. Seriously if its that bad in this country why dont you go somewhere else if not stop your crying.
What does the doctor always tell you not to do when you have poison ivy? "Son, keep your hands off it and don't keep scratching or it will just keep spreading and spreading until you'll really be in bad shape" "If you leave it alone for long enough it will heal itself." Just like you don't transfer racism or hatred to your children in your blood, but through your constant rehashing the same old arguments over and over and keep it alive. I don't think people that I was associated with thought too much about race until this last president came into office and he has scratched that sore and many more so much that they've all turned in to giant ulcers and some of the people are completely oblivious to what he is doing to them. This is what I say.......
Eagles - Get Over It
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H-Y7MAASkg&feature=related
Just by being black, eh?
Sixpack, in that last number of years, I have only seen the President talk twice about racial tension, and one was about our ability to overcome it, and the other was to stress a nation's empathy towards a child's death.
Racism has always been around, it just decided to come out of the closet for awhile. Perhaps we can now heal what we can see, instead of just prescribing morphine.
And Holmes... I'm sorry, but I still think you're making an assumption based on the experience of others. And it should be ridiculous for me to say "sorry" for any assumptions you may be making.
I know what it is like to be stopped when you know you have'nt broken any law. It happened to me several times. Once in Kentucky, driveing in the slow lane approx 3 miles below the speed limit. I was told that I did not put my signal on to change lanes, the problem is that I did not change lanes, I was held up for about 45mins, while they tossed my truck, asking questions like where do you work, how much do you earn a year, whether or not I own a gun or knife - you know when you are away from home you have to comply with all of their requests or go to jail. Again I was stopped on the water several times while out boating, I was anchored once and moving once again my boat was tossed, a white friend of mine that was on the boat each time jokeing said that he did not want to spend time with me on the boat because you get pulled over for driving while black all the time. I mean these cops will lie as to their reasons, I had one to stop me for a taillight, walking back with him showed him my taillight was working. The scary thing is when they approach you with hand on gun, you have to have you hands practically out the window and splayed open, you have to say yes sir, look straight ahead and definitely no big arm movements, I'm 65yrs old I have'nt had but one ticket levied for passing in the face of traffic in Nevada back in 1968. Other than that nothing........ It's tough out here, especially for the young black man, the cops sometimes will shoot and ask questions later, they only get a slap on the wrist and the city gets sued............. go figure.
Someone should ask the question, why its practically aways a white cop involved and why black cops very seldom get the same complaint.