Lee Hill, here ...

Today we did a story on the Bonnie Sweeten case. She is a white woman from Pennsylvania who falsely accused two black males of kidnapping her and her daughter. In reality, she and her daughter had fled to Disney World, even as a serious investigation was underway. This is the latest case of a racial hoax, and criminologist Katheryn Russell-Brown told Michel on the program today that these cases are more prevalent than we may think. But how do these type of false allegations affect the communities they target? Tell Me More Producer Arwa Gunja decided to find out. Take it away, Arwa.

Thanks, Lee. Arwa Gunja, here ...

I caught up with Albert Butler this morning. He's the host of Al B in the Afternoon, a talk show that airs on WURD-AM in Philadelphia. His show is based about thirty minutes from where Bonnie Sweeten lives, and Albert's listeners are mostly African-American. So when the truth broke about Bonnie Sweeten's allegations, I decided to ask Albert how his listeners were responding to racial hoax. Take a listen:


And here are more thoughts from Albert:

Philadelphia radio host Al Butler. Courtesy of Al Butler

White women have been falsely accusing black men of crimes since Africans were first forcibly brought to these shores. So it was no surprise to my radio audience or me when the latest incident involving Bonnie Sweeten came to light.
It was also no surprise when the mainstream media jumped all over the "two black men in a Cadillac" story (even though the facts were hazy from the start). Once the truth was discovered, hearing Bonnie Sweeten described as "not well" and "troubled" was definitely no surprise. Either was it a surprise that whatever crime that she would be accused of, there would be no accounting for the harm done to any black men or other men of color that were in the area of the "crime." Little is ever said about the damage that is done when an APB for non-existent black suspects is broadcast and how black men (and those close to them) in the area have to endure "you fit the description" stops -- the actual description never matters because we all, always "fit" the description.
For days, my lines were lit up with callers frustrated with the history of false allegations and America's complicity, media coverage and a lack real accountability for the for people who would fabricate such fables. Many lamented that these types of incidents can still happen in this day in age, with President Obama in the White House. Others were more cynical: one caller said, "I am gonna die in the same world my father died in, and he died in the same one his father lived in ... Nothing ever changes."
I tend to be an optimist. I see change everyday and have seen significant change. But when you see the news flash, hear the media coverage, feel the reaction of an entire country, and read the simple charge of filing a false police report as punishment for another assault on a beleaguered community ... well, it's not a surprise.

Thanks, Arwa. And thanks, Al, for your insight.

tags:

categories: More on Race

1:14 - June 8, 2009

What is this?

Share