Race and the White House

This week, the Bush administration replaced Lawrence A. Greenfeld, the director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a small branch of the Justice Department. Greenfeld was named to the position in 2001. His new position, which has not been released, is a demotion to another department.

Why was he canned? The White House, as usual, has no comment, and Greenfeld is currently not authorized to speak with reporters. But the story speaks for itself.

In April of 2004, the Bureau of Justice Statistics completed a report on traffic stops and police aggression that revealed that although black, Latino and white drivers are equally likely to be pulled over, black and Latino drivers were more likely to be handcuffed, searched, arrested, and threatened with violence. Greenfeld wanted to go public with the report; his superiors didn’t.

The report was posted to the Bureau of Justice Statistics website later that spring. Like 37 of the 55 reports published that year, it was not accompanied by a press release or media event, but buried on the website of an office that the majority of the American people probably don’t know exists. The report drew no conclusions as to why certain drivers were more likely to face aggression than others. It simply laid out the scientific results of a study. And the Bush administration chose to shoot the messenger.

How can we ever hope to have an honest dialogue about race in this country when the preferred method of discussion is wishing it away? How can we discuss facts about race when the factfinders are demonized for reporting the truth? Lawrence Greenfeld wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Washington showboating attorney, in search of 15 minutes in front of a camera and a book deal. He was a 23-year veteran statistician who managed an office of 50. He was just a man committed to his work. To fire him for doing his job properly is villainy. It is the height of the vileness of white supremacy.

But it will come back around. If not for Greenfeld’s demotion, the major media probably would not have picked up on the report at all; yesterday, its findings ran in 141 newspapers. Rep. Conyers has called for a probe on the whole affair. Perhaps the real demotions are on their way…