Posted on May 12, 2023
In Tennessee, Black immigrants navigate a tricky course to a coveted driver's license
226
9
4
4
4
0
https://www.npr.org/2023/05/12/ [login to see] /black-immigrants-memphis-drivers-license-public-transportation
When Edwin Musafiri moved to the U.S. from Zambia, he said people had a lot of questions for him: "You came from Africa Africa?" "Were you around real giraffes?" "How do you like the food here?" "What do you think of city living?"
In fact, Musafiri had come from Lusaka — the capital of Zambia, a city of more than 3 million people. A city, he says, that was "70%" like Memphis, Tenn., his new home: People ate pizza and fast food. The streets looked fairly similar. Giraffes, for the most part, did not factor into everyday life.
There was a profound difference, though, that complicated Musafiri's first months in Memphis last year, one he hadn't anticipated. The sprawling city stretches about 320 square miles. There are no subways, and bus and trolley service is limited. And like many others in his immigrant community, Musafiri didn't know how to drive.
When Edwin Musafiri moved to the U.S. from Zambia, he said people had a lot of questions for him: "You came from Africa Africa?" "Were you around real giraffes?" "How do you like the food here?" "What do you think of city living?"
In fact, Musafiri had come from Lusaka — the capital of Zambia, a city of more than 3 million people. A city, he says, that was "70%" like Memphis, Tenn., his new home: People ate pizza and fast food. The streets looked fairly similar. Giraffes, for the most part, did not factor into everyday life.
There was a profound difference, though, that complicated Musafiri's first months in Memphis last year, one he hadn't anticipated. The sprawling city stretches about 320 square miles. There are no subways, and bus and trolley service is limited. And like many others in his immigrant community, Musafiri didn't know how to drive.
In Tennessee, Black immigrants navigate a tricky course to a coveted driver's license
Posted from npr.org
Immigration
Driving
Cars
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 2
3
3
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Maj Kim Patterson Functioning in American Society without driving is Near Impossible for anyone let alone an Immigrant. Talk about Challenging!
(0)
(0)
2
2
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."There's another type of fear that may be animating folks as they make the decision to drive — longstanding concerns about police brutality. Earlier this year, in January, Tyre Nichols, a young Black man, died after being beaten by Memphis police officers after he was pulled over for what police said was reckless driving. But even before Nichols' death became national news, immigrant rights activists around Tennessee expressed concern that with Black immigrants, traffic stops can be especially high stakes if there is a language barrier. If someone can't understand the instructions that an officer is giving, or convey information that they're asked for, the fear is that situations have the potential to escalate in upsetting and potentially dangerous ways.
James has these realities swimming through his head whenever he gets behind the wheel with a student. He essentially has a version of "the talk" with them — a conversation that involves conveying nuanced, high stakes information about navigating a social and racial landscape that immigrants may not be familiar with, all while showing them how to use their turn signals.
"So in those sessions, it's being honest and vulnerable," James says. "My goal is to equip people with the knowledge and the skillset to be able to handle the road, to be able to feel confident in doing [that] to empower themselves and their family.
"But I also need to prepare them right for what the law might do in case of, you know, lack of insurance, lack of permit, lack of license and things like that," James says.
Musafiri, so far, has been fortunate. After working with James, he was able to get his driver's license. It meant that he regained much of his independence. He can go grocery shopping whenever he wants, for one. And he switched jobs to one he really wanted — working with computers.
But another important benefit for Musafiri was knowing that his family wouldn't have to go through what he experienced when he arrived in the U.S. He wanted to be able to show up for his parents and siblings, to ease their transition when they joined him in Memphis last September.
And he's done just that. Now, he's pulling an Isaac James, if you will — teaching his family how to drive. He says his dad is pretty good (he drove back in Zambia), and his sister — well, she needs to get better about checking her mirrors.
Until then, he'll drive them all to work — and pick them up. It takes about five minutes to drop off his sister, and 15 for his parents.
"Walking, I think it might take a couple of hours," Musafiri says. "On public transportation — there's no transportation that goes there."
..."There's another type of fear that may be animating folks as they make the decision to drive — longstanding concerns about police brutality. Earlier this year, in January, Tyre Nichols, a young Black man, died after being beaten by Memphis police officers after he was pulled over for what police said was reckless driving. But even before Nichols' death became national news, immigrant rights activists around Tennessee expressed concern that with Black immigrants, traffic stops can be especially high stakes if there is a language barrier. If someone can't understand the instructions that an officer is giving, or convey information that they're asked for, the fear is that situations have the potential to escalate in upsetting and potentially dangerous ways.
James has these realities swimming through his head whenever he gets behind the wheel with a student. He essentially has a version of "the talk" with them — a conversation that involves conveying nuanced, high stakes information about navigating a social and racial landscape that immigrants may not be familiar with, all while showing them how to use their turn signals.
"So in those sessions, it's being honest and vulnerable," James says. "My goal is to equip people with the knowledge and the skillset to be able to handle the road, to be able to feel confident in doing [that] to empower themselves and their family.
"But I also need to prepare them right for what the law might do in case of, you know, lack of insurance, lack of permit, lack of license and things like that," James says.
Musafiri, so far, has been fortunate. After working with James, he was able to get his driver's license. It meant that he regained much of his independence. He can go grocery shopping whenever he wants, for one. And he switched jobs to one he really wanted — working with computers.
But another important benefit for Musafiri was knowing that his family wouldn't have to go through what he experienced when he arrived in the U.S. He wanted to be able to show up for his parents and siblings, to ease their transition when they joined him in Memphis last September.
And he's done just that. Now, he's pulling an Isaac James, if you will — teaching his family how to drive. He says his dad is pretty good (he drove back in Zambia), and his sister — well, she needs to get better about checking her mirrors.
Until then, he'll drive them all to work — and pick them up. It takes about five minutes to drop off his sister, and 15 for his parents.
"Walking, I think it might take a couple of hours," Musafiri says. "On public transportation — there's no transportation that goes there."
(2)
(0)
CPL Jason Northedge
If u want a good read. There's an article from Florida about a few immigrants that disappeared from the planet after being pulled over by the same cop. Pretty long article. Itll turn ur stomach.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google