Grandfather of Black Girl Says He’s a Victim of ‘Babysitting While White’

February 13th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

We all know the racial profiling that comes with driving while black, but what about babysitting while white? That’s the type of discrimination Austin, TX, grandfather Scott Henson says he’s been subjected to when he’s been out an about with the five-year-old daughter of his goddaughter, Ty, who happens to be black.

On his blog, Grits for Breakfast, Scott detailed two instances in the past three years when he’s been randomly and aggressively questioned by police officers for no other reason, he says, than being a white man walking down the street with a little black girl. The most recent occurrence happened this past Friday when Scott was walking home from a roller skating rink with his granddaughter and was soon swarmed by several police squad cars with officers saying they received an anonymous tip that a white man had kidnapped a black girl. Scott said the officers ran up behind him and instantly cuffed him.

“Ty edged up the hill away from the officers, crying. One of them called out in a comforting tone that they weren’t there to hurt her, but another officer blew up any good will that might have garnered by brusquely snatching her up and scuttling her off to the back seat of one of the police cars,” he wrote on his blog.

Despite giving contact information of several people who could verify his relationship with Ty, Scott said police refused to call the numbers. Eventually, he was released without an apology, but not before 10 squad cars circled him on the bike bath where he was walking not far from his home. Scott says he endured similar treatment in November 2008, when Austin police were on the hunt for two suspected killers. Because he was insulted at the officer’s behavior, Scott says in each instance he was terse with police and felt no obligation to cooperate given their hasty judgement.

Although he doesn’t appreciate the unfair treatment, Scott says he’s less concerned with how the police manhandle him and more worried about the impact their actions are having on Ty.

“I’d like her to view police as people she can trust instead of threats to her and her family, but it’s possible I live in the wrong neighborhood for that,” he wrote.

That’s a pretty interesting perspective that may likely become more or less common as interracial relationships between black women and white men become more prevalent, and children from previous relationships potentially come into play.

Have you ever witnessed or heard of any racial profiling experience like this?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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