Name: The little problem I had renting a house
Uploaded: 2015-02-20T15:48:19Z
Duration: 13 min 43 s
Description: Fifty-three years ago, James A. White Sr. joined the US Air Force. But as an African American man, he had to go to shocking lengths to find a place for his young family to live nearby. He tells this powerful story about the lived experience of "everyday racism" -- and how it echoes today in the way he's had to teach his grandchildren to interact with police.

Fifty-three years ago, James A. White Sr. joined the US Air Force. But as an African American man, he had to go to shocking lengths to find a place for his young family to live nearby. He tells this powerful story about the lived experience of "everyday racism" -- and how it echoes today in the way he's had to teach his grandchildren to interact with police.

The little problem I had renting a house

A young African-American airman faced relentless housing discrimination when trying to settle his family near his Air Force base, even being told there were no vacancies as a neon sign flashed 'Vacancies.' Decades later, he teaches his grandsons strategies to stay safe during police encounters, underscoring how everyday racism persists through time. These personal stories reveal both the pain of exclusion and the urgent need for collective action. Change demands courage, education, and solidarity from everyone in society.