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On Thursday, October 1, law enforcement stopped Versace's sneaker and men's footwear Vice President Salehe Bembury on Rodeo Drive. Bembury, Black, respectable, at the top of his game, was exiting Versace with a purchased item from the brand he is senior leadership for. He was then policed, harassed and searched by law enforcement. Take note from Bembury's video — the officer did seem to have an alleged reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop him, but nonetheless he was detained.
Thus, Bembury quickly took to Instagram and social media to document the discrimination he faced. Sadly, it seems that in the modern wake of Black society, Black abuse by police often is only authenticated on platforms like Instagram. Angry, confused and scared, Bembury asked why he was being stopped and held up? Bembury felt he was stopped because of his Black skin and wanted that to be clear.
The officers quickly tried to switch the scenario up on Bemury, stating, "Now, what you are doing is making it completely different than what we were talking about." The officers — knowing they were out of line instead of admitting that they had made a mistake — wanted Bembury documenting his abuse to be the problem, a metaphoric bandaid that made what they did OK. It is disgusting and reductionist how Bembury and so many others are treated by law enforcement just because they were born Black.
In 2020, Bembury is just one of the many Black bodies that have been policed this year to feed America's capitalistic hunger. These Black bodies, no matter how "respectable," become prey — something to be fed upon and not given respect. Black proverb tells Black people, "you have to work and be two times better than them to succeed." When Black people are positioned as criminal, out of place and abject, how much truthful-weight does that proverb actually hold?
Bembury's all too common but harrowing interaction is a tragic example that respectability will not save you. No matter the job you hold, how educated you are or the wealth you amass, you are still Black first and foremost at the end of the day. Black bodies have been sold the false promise of respectability for decades. That if you do everything correctly, you will be treated correctly.
In a country that prides itself on maintaining "law and order," respectability is not a tactic that can shield you. When seen and assessed by the powers that be, continuous decisions are made against your body — not to protect you, but subjugate you. Bembury, while being a VP at Versace, the company could not save him, nor could the shopping bag in his hand. Black bodies are often put on display for the world to see that Black, in all of its forms, is not something to be protected but instead vilified for existing.
