Subscribe

* indicates required
Okayplayer News

To continue reading

Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

Questlove responds to complex top 50 the roots songs feat
Questlove responds to complex top 50 the roots songs feat

Questlove & Isaiah Washington Comment On Adapting To Systemic Racism In Brief Twitter Exchange

Questlove Responds To Complex's Top 50 Songs From The Roots

We don't typically pry into the copious, mostly needless back-and-forths the Twitterverse has to offer, but when the likes of Isaiah Washington and our very own Questlove happen to be at it regarding adaptation in an overtly racist society, we have to chime in. Recently,  legendary funny-man Chris Rock has been documenting the not-so-funny and much too frequent occurrence of being pulled over by Long Island cops (three times in the last 6 weeks) in his very own neighborhood, which Rock has always made light of as virtually the only black entertainer in its occupancy. But it was a statement from Washington that may have caught some off guard:

To which Questo replied:

Over the past 24-hours, Twitter has been ablaze with sentiments affirming both sides, even though the perspectives aren't technically at odds. Both entertainers are clearly commenting on the futility of adapting to a systemically racist law enforcement regime, where "driving while black" is a very real and citable offense, especially if you are behind the wheel of a car that an officer finds uncharacteristic of your complexion. And while Rock is not technically part of the dialogue, his efforts to document his excessive and unwarranted interactions with law enforcement stand as yet another instance in which we can readily identify a blatant propensity for stopping black men who drive nice cars, as if they couldn't possibly own a German-made vehicle.

But Washington's statements do raise an interesting question that I cannot personally answer: is it incumbent of black men and women to adapt to police profiling and rigorous harassment by taming their possessions and blending in? Or have we finally reached a breaking point in the discourse? Let us know how you feel in the comment section below.