Romeo Miller recently revealed the details of a tense encounter with police that left the rapper with some lingering thoughts on the state of race relations in America.
Miller recalled the incident on an episode of “The Mix,” telling hosts about the day he was driving near the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) when he was stopped by a police officer who’d already brandished a gun as he advanced toward his car, reported Blavity.
“In UCLA, you get pulled over there, you better have that camera recording because they don’t play no games,” Miller said. The guy pulled me over at gunpoint, a Black cop, and he was like ‘Is this a stolen vehicle?’ I’m like ‘Relax. Just come check my registration and get my driver’s license.’ “
He added that the officer pressed the issue of whether he was driving a stolen vehicle when suddenly he recognized the star.
“When he saw it was me, he said ‘Oh, Romeo Miller? Oh, you good. I thought you were just some random Black dude.’ It’s scary for me because my brothers ain’t famous. They bigger than me at 6’4,” 6’5.” These guys are intimidated by Black men,” he explained.
The situation left Miller rattled, as he described that his experience made him reflect on how his own brothers would have been treated if they were to have the same confrontation.
“I have little brothers that look like grown men and it’s like, what are they going to go through if they don’t realize, ‘Oh I know you from TV, so you’re not a threat,’ ” he said.
“It’s sad that we’re looked at as a threat because of the color of our skin. But it is real. I’ve been in that situation too many times,” said Miller.
Miller clarified that he felt what he experienced wasn’t indicative of all police, and he had met quite a few cops that were helpful when they were needed.
“This overshadows the good cops because there is a lot of good cops out there,” he said. “I’ve been in situations where there have been some cops that saved a lot of my family members who would have been dead or in jail, so this overshadows the good.”
He indicated that he considered the current state of affairs with law enforcement and race relations a “spiritual warfare between good and bad.”
“That’s what we’re going through, in this world; it’s that serious. It’s a spiritual warfare, and it’s good versus evil. The bad is overshadowing it, it’s tainting it, and I just want to make sure we put that light on the good as well.”
In more positive news for the Miller family, after being accepted to a number of prestigious colleges, one of Miller’s brothers has decided to attend an HBCU.
Hercy Miller was accepted to major programs at the University of Southern California (USC), Vanderbilt and Georgetown universities and UCLA before ultimately choosing to play basketball at Tennessee State University (TSU).
“I feel like if I go to an HBCU, I can put a spotlight on for all the HBCUs around so that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to make a change. I want to make a difference,” he told TMZ Sports. “I’m the type of person, I want to be a leader. I want to lead my people. I feel like going to Tennessee State University, I can be part of community and be a player at the same time.”
