Running head: INSTANCES OF PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL

Instances of Personal and Institutional Discrimination

Kelly Talbert
Wayne State University
SW 3110

Harrison

Instances of Personal and Institutional Discrimination

An incident in my life when I was discriminated against, there has been so many. The one
that I chose to write about happened to me in the summer of 1989, I was 18. I was profiled by
Detroits Finest, an unmarked car with plain clothed police officers pulled me over on
Schoolcraft and Wyoming. Now as they rode up on me with lights and sirens, I thought, wow
what did I do? Well, four officers got out of this car, three African American and one Caucasian
and they proceeded to surround the car. The passenger and I were asked to get out of the car,
which was a BLACK 1989 Mazda Gt Turbo, I asked why? One officer stated that I was
speeding. So we got out of the car, they asked whose car is this? Then they asked the passenger

his name and where did he live? He lived in walking distance from where we were stopped. They
told him to head home, but continued to detain me.
The Caucasian officer told me to give him the keys. I asked why, do you need my keys if
you stopped me for speeding? I was heated. He then proceeded to place hand cuffs on me and
placed me inside the unmarked car. It was a shocker for me, because the three African American
officers were just standing there. I told him he better not trash my mothers car! After the vehicle
search they carted me off to the precinct. I was fuming. When I was being processed someone
had recognized me. I was told they called my mother, she work for the City of Detroit EMS and
was in transition to RN. So a lot of officers knew her. A few hours later my mother came and
picked me up. She agreed that I had been profiled, but she also stated that my mouth was the
reason they took me to jail. I did not think it was fair that I was treated like a thug. Some African
American teens do actually grow up in good homes and have the privilege of driving nice cars
and we dont use drugs!
An instance where I was the perpetrator of discrimination was difficult to come up with
because I would like to think of myself as a pretty even person. But I guess a form of
discrimination from me would be the fact that there is not a young lady out there good enough to
be with my son. I believe that when it comes to him I am not accepting the fact that he will be an
adult next year. I know it is wrong that I feel this way. He is my only child, therefore I treat him
like royalty, and please do not get it confused, he is the nicest person you would ever want to
meet. He is smart, handsome, caring, sharing and well behaved. When he is not pursuing his
education he mentors, and helps other young adults to pursue their musical and educational
dreams. I am sure that I have unrealistic expectations of him. Is this something I can work on?
Yes, but the question that keeps surfacing is do I want to change that about me or do I continue to

INSTANCES OF PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL

wear these unbreakable clamps around my heart and not let anyone stand in the way of me
having my son always be my little boy and feeling no one will ever be good enough for him.
I would identify the practice of institutional discrimination within the hospital setting.
When mental health patients come in the Emergency Department, and issues arise when it
comes to getting a facility that will accept these patients for hospitalization once they have been
petitioned. I think it is horrible that they may be in our ER for days, I have noticed during
weekends and the holidays; they definitely will not get placed in a timely fashion. Sometimes
these patients are snowed with drugs to keep them in a sedated state of mind, so they will not
hurt themselves and others. You tend to hear staff saying things like they are repeat offenders, or
there is nothing I can do for them. Sometimes the doctors get mad if they have to continue care
on the mental health patients. It is not right that these patients are treated like this. They come to
the hospital for protection, from themselves and others.
In conclusion, we have to educate our staff on empathy, and sympathy, I notice that the
social workers in the ER are understaffed which shoots down moral. The challenges will always
be there, it is up to us to except those challenges and help our mentally impaired patients.
Institutional discrimination isnt going anywhere; you just have to make sure you try not to
contribute.