#DrivingWhileBlack
Describes racial profiling during traffic stops, gained renewed attention after multiple 2021 incidents.
Quick Facts
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Being stopped by police for being Black |
| Statistics | Black drivers 20% more likely to be stopped |
| Context | Traffic stops leading to violence, death |
| Reform | Calls for eliminating pretextual stops |
Origin & Impact
The phrase “Driving While Black” emerged in the 1990s to describe racial profiling by police during traffic stops. It resurfaced powerfully in 2021 after Daunte Wright’s killing and Lt. Caron Nazario’s violent stop highlighted how routine traffic encounters turn dangerous for Black Americans.
Video of Army Lieutenant Caron Nazario being pepper-sprayed by Virginia police during a traffic stop went viral, showing military service offers no protection from profiling. Data consistently shows Black drivers are stopped, searched, and subjected to force at disproportionate rates despite similar violation frequencies.
The hashtag fuels advocacy for ending pretextual stops (stopping for minor violations to investigate other issues), limiting armed officer interactions for non-violent infractions, and addressing how traffic enforcement perpetuates racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Related Hashtags
#BlackLivesMatter #RacialProfiling #PoliceReform #TrafficStop #SystemicRacism