Malaysia Pargo’s anxiety about police has heightened her concern for her son as he grows up and she’s dreading having to have “the talk” with him.
On Monday night’s episode of “Basketball Wives,” Pargo explains to her sisters how Jannero Pargo Jr. is at the age where he wants to do more things on his own. She considered letting him drive himself to his tutor session, but then the mother of three remembered she hadn’t had a talk with him about interacting with police.
Pargo’s worries even extend to Jannero wearing a hoodie, which she said made her “spaz out.” She told her sisters the reason for her distress stems from the way she lost her younger brother to police brutality.
Credit: VH1 Basketball Wives
In 2013, Dontae Hayes was fatally shot in the head by an officer in Riverside, Calif., when the cops thought Hayes was reaching for a weapon, according to a report from The Press Enterprise. The newspaper also reported in 2014 that Hayes’ mother, filed a $25,000 wrongful death suit against the Riverside Police Department over the matter in which she also alleged a violation of civil rights.
After expressing regret for not going to get her brother from another town, her sister tells her she “couldn’t have done anything differently.”
“I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she says.
After the tearful confession, fans rallied around the reality star in support of her concerns.
“Malaysia Story About Her Brother 😥#BasketballWives.”
“How sad. Poor Malaysia is scared to send her son out alone. #ThisIsAmerica #BasketballWives.”
“I feel for Malaysia because I have a Black son… it’s hard! #BasketballWives.”
“It’s a damn shame how we have to recite a rule book to our Black babies about survival while Black in this world. #BasketballWives.”
“Malaysia’s anxiety around police is sad to watch but honestly this same anxiety is held by a lot of people in our Black communities. We shouldn’t fear for our lives and safety. Nice to see the show shine a light on this topic. It’s a real reality! #BasketballWives #BLM.”
