My social justice group and I were very lucky to have the chance to have an interview with Jaron Evelyn, a student at our very own high school. Unfortunately, Jaron has been unjustly stopped and frisked by NYPD police officers over 8 times. We were able to get a first-hand recollection of these terrible experiences from Jaron, and we were able to get a better understanding of the harassment and racism many people of color have to endure when stopped and frisked. Conducting this interview was very important to our group and Jaron because it helped us personify and personalize the statistics and show how people of color that are stopped and frisked are not just a number but they could be innocent people that we know and see among our community. Stop and frisk and racial profiling is a form of modern day racism and it violates basic rights that everyone should have, In Jaron’s own words, “When I’m stopped I feel like… I’m a statistic, that I am a criminal, misunderstood, and not American.” This is what our group, Teens Against Racial Profiling, is against. We are looking to stop racial profiling as a policing tactic throughout the country so no one will have to be stopped because of their race/ethnicity. This interview and Jaron’s personal experiences was the perfect place to start with our plans to continue working towards expanding our work to end racial profiling and police brutality.

Sitting down to interview Jaron Evelyn, a Lrei high schooler.