Pitts, who writes for The Miami Herald, served as the keynote speaker at the annual awards dinner of the Atlantic County chapter of the American Conference on Diversity, held at the Atlantic City Country Club.
The Press reports that in his speech, Pitts cited a recent study in which whites were asked if they were reincarnated as blacks, how much money would they ask for to compensate for the discrimination they would face. The average respondent said $10,000. Another study found white Americans tend to look at how far blacks have come, while blacks tend to look at how much progress has yet to be made, Pitts said.
?It is hard for a young black man to earn the respect of white society,? Pitts told the audience, according to the Press. ?No matter how hard you work, women will still clutch their purses when you get on the elevator, the police will still arrest you, and people will still think you're stupid and lazy. No wonder many say that if they'll be treated as a criminal in any case, they may as well be a thug and get the reward for it.?
Go here for the Press? report.