Judge Robert Wilkins' experience of "driving while black" 

He is lucky he had the resources to fight back. Many people don’t.

Lawsuits need to include civil penalties against the Police officer's, especially when they're overstepping their boundaries as Police officer's!

This is why Kap took a knee, not because he wants to disrespect the flag

Glad he sued them.

Black skin trumps all degrees and/or accomplishments.They see your Black skin before they know of your degrees and/or accomplishments..SMGDH!

This why I do not allow anyone in my presence to say "I don't see color ", because they are lying.

He was lucky drugs weren't planted or money wasn't confiscated.

I was waiting and really like the part of the video when he started with “when we sued”. Glad he did that and won.

What's crazy is I was in Moscow, Russia (all white people for the most part). Not once did I get harrassed, questioned, pulled over by law enforcement because of the color of my skin. I come back home and right away I am scrutinized because of it.

What Harriet Jacobs wrote 150 years ago still rings true today: "We sailed from New York, and arrived in Liverpool after a pleasant voyage of twelve days. We proceeded directly to London, and took lodgings at the Adelaide Hotel. The supper seemed to me less luxurious than those I had seen in American hotels; but my situation was indescribably more pleasant. For the first time in my life I was in a place where I was treated according to my deportment, without reference to my complexion. I felt as if a great millstone had been lifted from my breast. Ensconced in a pleasant room, with my dear little charge, I laid my head on my pillow, for the first time, with the delightful consciousness of pure, unadulterated freedom." In America it's never not "living while black."

Your lawsuit did help the country and it's people like you who are going to lead us all away from stereotyping. Thank you.

Bravo to the judge.. bleed their pockets.

I would of luv to see the faces on the pigs when he sued!

Stop settling and change these horrendous "laws". This is insane.

Judge Wilkins helps all of us by using this bad experience to show us the way to a better future.

It is my deepest wish to see Judge Robert L. Wilkins on the Supreme Court. He has literally ALWAYS been a man of the highest moral character, intelligent, humble, a constitutionalist who is neither a "crazy progressive" nor an "idiotic conservative." His brilliant mind, along with Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, are desperately needed on the SCOTUS.

I'm not black but my first experience being pulled over by police was when I was 12 and my dad and I were driving back from church. My dad is a dark skinned Latino and he drove a shiny Mercedes. Suddenly we're getting pulled over out of nowhere and we don't know why. The cop walks up and immediately starts asking where we got this car and whose car it is. When my dad said it was his car the officer goes "Let's see the registration then" as if my dad has to prove that he didn't steal his own car. Then when the cop was letting us go he literally admitted that he pulled us over because he had transferred from Oakland and over there it's not normal to see "a person like you driving a car like this". And my dad, bless his uneducated soul, actually took it as a compliment 🤦🙄 and poor 12 year old me is just sitting there like, "dad we just got racially profiled. That isn't a good thing". I learned that day that cops are not our friends and they're just looking for reasons to hurt us

OMG my husband and a friend went through the same thing in the late eighties. They were in a rental car and were going to Washington DC from Florida. Unfortunately they didn't sue, but listening to this is like history repeating itself!!!

I thought I was the only one stopped during a funeral service and I got that cop suspended without pay for 30 days but I wanted her fired. She stopped us for having a dirty tag, after leaving a cemetery with red dirt roads when it had been storming for days. We had just buried our baby and she literally grilled us about our out of state plate & out of state licenses. She asked where we were headed even though we had funeral flags on the cars, dressed in funeral attire, flowers all on the backseat. I told her we needed to get to the repast and she yelled so it was bad but at the police station I laid into her so bad she cried, and no I didn't give a damn.

Similar situation happened to me in Georgia back in 2013. In a rental car, stopped, K9 search with an excuse about drug runs in rentals. Officer said he stopped me because my reverse light was on while driving. A claim the rental company stated wasn't the case when I returned it.

WAKE UP CALL BROTHER......WAKE UP

How about the case of a armed security guard playing cop pulling over and off duty state police officer, whom happened to be black ? I could only imagine the look on the face of this security guard when this state police officer introduced himself. Or the case of the college officers pulling over a member of SWAT for going around the block too many times looking for a parking spot. You see, in this area of my city it is next to impossible to find parking in the daytime. This SWAT officer whom I grew up with, told this story to me.

This gentleman just described my experience with Baltimore City Police 🚔. We all hear this situation happening often to Black People, but until it happens to you, you will never know exactly how dehumanizing it is. Officer said he smelled drugs 💉 in my car after first pulling me over for running away from the cops 👮‍♂️. Running away from the cops was the first lie the officer gave as a justification for pulling me over. He quickly realized that his argument couldnt hold water, and then he changed the story to making an illegal U-turn from a parking position. What really hurt my soul was having to sit on the floor with my 3 friends while the dog 🐕 sniff for drugs that were no where to be found. And, also worst was the prison/jail van that was called on the scene to transport us.

They found out what that degree meant when they got sued

As an African American I Feel You my Brother!..."ONLY IN AMERICA!"...I've Been Their and Done That!...Back in the Day I grew up with this saying..."If Your'er White Your'er Right!...If Your'er Brown Stick Around!...If Your'er Yellow Your'er Mellow! and if Your'er BLACK!...GET BACK!"...."Keep on Truckin"...My Brother and God Bless!

A degree means nothing in this country when it comes to being black..Sometimes it's a wake up call,bc some folks think this cant happen to them bc of their status.

Unfortunately, this crap happens everyday. I've had this happen to me at least 4 times in various states. My crime you ask? Having the audicity to drive nice cars as one officer put it. Never mind that at the time of these stop, I was a senior level corporate officer for fortune 500 companies. In america your educational level or success level don't matter. The only thing that matters is the color of your skin.

This almost happened to me--just the other day--and I graduated from the #1 college in this country...If I had not kept my cool...

If you are black in America you are considered as a threat off top! That's the way it's always been and always will be!

Overjoyed that he sued, and didn't just let it go.

I am a black mother I have 2 sons we will always be judged for the color of our skin, which is a damn shame the cops see us as suspects first and citizens later . I wonder will it ever change, hoping my grandkids will help the world see us differently. Keeping my head up always u gotta have faith.

This happened to me several times, never felt so humiliated knowing people watching assume we are criminals, one time I was in a military uniform, didn't matter in the least. Felt like I'm fighting for a country that hates me no matter what I do. I love AMERICA to the grave. one day we will all be free. Humi

let's be reminded how this country was formed. The spirit, rules and laws of the Universe will judge and sentence. in the meantime we people of color as our ancestors and civil rights warriors did, must be courageous.

Look up Army Lt Wlliam Berry. Friend of mine, same thing happened to him in MD.

I've always worried for my 2 sons because his experience happened to me on several occasions.

Try shopping at Target! I've spent thousands of dollars since my l early retirement, but l am still followed as if a thief! So hurtful. America Must Change! It Cannot continue this way!

so education & income don't make the difference?

When our people experience this type of behavior, we are obligated to sue x 3+ and push for better treatment, and stop this haneous behavior!!!

It doesn't matter what position you are, you are still suspect.

So sorry you were treated like this. I am glad you are a part of changing this type of thinking.

This is so sad

All that ever matters is the colour of your skin...

I've already experienced similar police profiling when they repeatedly impounded my vehicle claiming that the plates were suspended when they weren't the case was eventually dismissed by a judge yet more than $ 6,000.00 in wrongful impoundment fees were not refunded to me.

Thank you Sir... one's life don't really change until it happens to you.

Wow. From SouthAfrica. But it seems like we just handed over the baton! How long has this discrmination been going on?

This is the wake-up call that former sheriff in Milwaukee and a few others need to experience.

Why we talking about this? It's been happening everyday for 500 yrs.

This is absolutely ridiculous, I'm glad he sued and received a settlement. It didn't matter what university he graduated from, nor that he was a judge in good standing, just the color of his skin was an indictment against him and his family.

VERY well spoken man! I'm happy for you.

If this happens to a well versed in the law, what can the other expect? This is so sad...

💟💟💟💟🙏God blessed him with prosperity despite his bad experiences with racism.

He needed that wake up call.

Dam shame in America

Walk a mile in another mans shoes.

As a white bread boy Free America. SIR and I put it in caps to respect you highly I sir am so so SORRY for the treatment you received and so glad you went on air with this. I am in no way connected to this but I see it all the time when I'm out driving PD stopping black men. This has to stop PD stop profiling these great free Americans.

Wow that’s deep we’ve been victimized for so long from slavery now to profiling

As long as your black...you are THE target! Ftp...🤬

Didn't have this issue when I was stationed in Japan for 4 years

Hard to make sense of it all for an educated man, but for those police officer who have nothing more than maybe a high school diploma and 10 weeks of "training". It made perfect sense.

As Bruce Willis said in Diehard 1, “welcome to the party pal”. Lol

I may be misunderstanding him...But it seems like he believed that his degrees automatically excluded him from racism

They will pay. Bible says so

I’m a black man and I had a Maryland State Police search my car back in 2014 on Route 113 in Worcester County, Maryland on the Eastern Shore part. I had my cruise set on 62 in a 55 zone and they claimed I was doing 66 which is not true if I was on cruise control. They asked to search my car and the only reason why I let them do it because I didn’t want to be another statistic of another black man being killed. After they took forever searching, they let me go without a ticket.

Sir, i'm sooooo sorry that humiliation happen to you. But imagine how many people experience this and are not in the position that your degree affords you. And is sitting in jail because of that similar situation. So God protected you that day so you can fight and protect others....

Your a judge fix it put more dirty cops in prison !!!

And ppl like Stephan A. Smith wants to defend the NFL and keep Kap from playing in the NFL! I'm with Kaepernick!!

Try driving As a Latino too😒 It's shocking also I have witnessed this behavior in Bakersfield California and I have seen racism toward people of light skin too I have experienced racism toward me by Latinos in Bakersfield I Love All people except cruel ignorant people who are very sick I wish we could a recognize that we are all precious and great each other

Laws in itself are not necessarily just if there isn't morality, ethics and decency entwined in law. It is good that this judge had this experience to work toward undoing the bias and discrimination when enforcement is corrupted.

When does it end?

This is a disgrace to this Country and still going on in 2018 come on people .We all need to pray about this in Jesus name amen

Love it when the reporter who is supposed to be evenhanded nods in agreement when he claims he is against fighting drug trafficking if it means he might be searched.

I've been stopped by the police many many many times when I was in my 20s

This just frustrates me. This is not right...God please help us.

“the land of the free and the home of the brave” Really!!!

I drove from Texas to Florida when I graduated in 1971. I'm 67 now and just arrived in Florida after having been stopped so many times.

Wow!!! This is sooooo heartbreaking.

Thank you Judge for you testimony. Despite popular opinion, the 2nd amendment is not the only admendment to the Constitution. As a person of color, I treasure all of them especially the due process clause of the 14th. This video has motivated to attend law school. Thank you.

Sorry what happened to you and your family and proud that you got stronger from it 👌

This is really SAD! Thank God you were a man of the law and knew the channels to right your wrong. My fear is for the millions who are not able to or have the wherewithal to do anything about this injustice! When, Lord, is America going to come to her senses and effect policing policies that are not discriminatory?💕💯

What was the outcome of the lawsuit?

Malcolm X had it right separation is the only way. Nobody listened to Malcolm but everything he said is coming true right before our very eyes.

I drove on the base with my children when I saw a guy pulled over on the side of the road with the 'drug dog' and I turned to my kids and said"I can't wait to tell your father somebody got pulled over!" When I looked again I shouted, "THAT IS YOUR FATHER!" For some reason he always seemed to "fit the d description!;" even in his uniform.

Don't know why this is in my feed today, but I had the exact same experience in Ohio, except, I was going slower than the speed limit because I didn't want to miss my exit with all the construction on I75. there was no reason to stop me but skin color. My truck had FOP plates so long I literally had forgotten what it was like to be targeted. In the rental car I lost my blue skin.

Now we’re in 2020 nothing has changed. Racial profiling is the norm. Happy that you and your family survived the ordeal .

Stop settling, take it all the way to a jury trial, that will stop this shit.

Its not for what we do its for who we are.

All these years go by and NOTHING HAS CHANGED !

that's nothing I've been pulled over for absolutely nothing speeding or nothing in my own car and had cops pull guns on me for absolutely nothing one on each side of the car and another couple times with three two with guns draw pointed at my head hand on the trigger I'm not a felon either this stuff happens all the time & nothing is done about it I've been harrassed by the police just riding a bike and at the grocery store having done nothing illegal. this judge isn't the only law enforcement official of color to have this done to them this is common place

I had the same thing happened to me last week in lakecharles,la driving down the road in a tractor trailer listening at the Google maps app which tells you 3/4 a mile before you get to a police speed trap and this state trooper pulled me over and gave me a ticket when I knew he was up there i told him to his face that he was a racist because I wasn't speeding most whites are racists and if they aren't they're a freaking miracle because society puts up with it and nobody is going to stand for righteousness and I've called in more than a few times on policemen not giving turn signals how do you enforce the law without obeying it

A good man. Too bad so many people can’t let go of their prejudices, especially law enforcement, which should be screened and trained better to prevent these kinds of incidents. Good job on the interviewers part.

Heck at least you weren't stopped after leaving the cemetery (laying your daughter to rest)headed to the repast because your tag was dirty. We had funeral flags on the car, flowers in the car and dressed in her favorite colors and this white female officer asks us where we were headed. It was a horrible experience and I let it ride that day but on Monday I set up an appointment with her & her boss, needless to say I let her have it til she cried and I didn't give a damn when she was suspended without pay.

The side of the road is the wrong place to try to have a logical argument with a cop. However, it is the basis for having your lawyer or law firm file legal charges against the cop and his department. Such action will have a bigger legal ripple when picked up by several news companies. Even if you're a judge, let your lawyers do the work. Don't break a sweat, no matter how difficult it is to maintain your composure.

Damn

I AM GLAD THAT THIS BLACK MAN WAS ABLE TO GET THESE THUGS INTO COURT. THESE THUGS IN UNIFORM ARE TRULY THE CAUSE OF SO MUCH DISTRUST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON VARIOUS LEVELS. NO LIBERTY, NO JUSTICE AND NO RESPECT. SEMPER-FI

Wow! What a treasure to live in a place where you don't have to worried about being white, black or tan. Maybe we have other important issues but being black is not a problem for the law. I love my neighbors, some are from China,Japan, and other parts of the world. We are all humans. God blessed Puerto Rico.I love my island

This looks like that episode from the fresh prince

Maria Lopez: know what it's like to get hassled by cops.

I'm sorry we grew up this way, but I'm clearer on things than my parents were and I still care enough to keep trying.

This judge is an inspiration

I can relate,its aweful to get pulled over bc of color of skin,then they wonder why people have hostiality towards cop,this dwb needs to stop asap