DRUG DEALERS COME IN ALL COLOURS

Young People's Press

As a young black male, I have never had any encounters with drugs or even
cigarettes. Yet, I have been stopped at least 10 times by white youth
asking me for drugs.

I am proud of my Jamaican heritage and will not accept being viewed as a
drug dealer. I find it absolutely disgraceful to be seen in such a manner.

I can only imagine that the youth who stop me think most black men are drug
dealers. Narcotics dealers can come from anywhere, and skin colour is not a
qualification. White youth need to take this into serious consideration
before approaching any black person for drugs.

The first encounter I had was at a downtown Toronto nightclub.

As I was dancing, I noticed that 95 per cent of the people were white. Some
were smoking cigarettes while others were enjoying a drag of marijuana.

Suddenly, a white youth asked me if I had any ``weed?'' I stared at him and
shouted ``No'' very loudly (so he could hear me above the sounds of the
music). He turned in the opposite direction and disappeared.

I started wondering why he would choose the only black male in the vicinity
to ask such a degrading question. I felt disrespected, ashamed and annoyed.

It took me a long time to get back into the mood for dancing.

After several weeks of trying to get over this incident I was once again
faced with the same dilemma. It was a lovely breezy evening and I was
walking through Henry Park.

As I approached the paved trail that runs through the grass, a white youth
blurted out, ``You got any weed or rolling papers?''

I was totally upset by the remark and I couldn't believe my ears. An
unhappy sense of dE9jE0 vu overwhelmed me.

I was furious, and replied ``No,'' and asked them if I looked like a
f-----g drug dealer. I wondered whether I had a sign that says ``Weed for
sale'' written all over my race. They were frightened and took off on their
bikes through the park.

I had a hard time dealing with this. I kept asking my friends why it is
that young black men are always being asked for drugs?

I consider myself a role model for young kids. This is why I decided to use
my knowledge of basketball to coach kids at the North York YMCA. On one
occasion, after practice, a player mentioned that he had tried marijuana.

He was white, 13 years old and in Grade 9. His words left me speechless. I
told him sharply that trying weed was wrong, and he should never try it again.

He looked at me strangely. I saw that he doubted what I was saying because
I was a black man. I wondered why he couldn't believe I was telling him the
truth. He was only 13 and already full of prejudice.

Where do they get their ideas?

The media portrays black males as thieves, murderers and drug dealers.

We are rarely represented in a ``positive'' manner. Television shows, such
as Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210, give young viewers the impression
these roles are a reflection of reality.

Perhaps because of these images, young people feel free to ask me for drugs.

The stereotypes they understand hinder them from separating the facts about
black males from the media's stereotypical images.

The youth who asked me for drugs didn't see me as an individual, but rather
as the media's version of a black man.

I have tried all my life to separate myself from the media-invented black
male who deals weed and commits other crimes.

I am not and would never consider becoming a drug dealer. I would rather
become a lawyer, journalist, politician or doctor. My role models are the
many other skilful and intelligent blacks in this society who I have come
into contact with or read about.

My advice to white people is to obtain literature and videos about the real
lives of black people. They should also be given proper lessons in schools
about the many great contributions black individuals have made to societies
around the world.

After a thorough educational flushing of the mind, perhaps they could offer
me an apology.

Under those circumstances, I would accept.

Kirk Moss, 20, is a student at York University and a summer intern at Young
People's Press.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski