Elisabeth Westwood commented on
Black in America
2020-06-04 07:54:52 -0700
Thanks for taking the time to listen to people stories. It makes me think of when I put together a Take Back the Night years ago, when I was in college. Take Back the Night is a nationwide event to raise awareness about domestic abuse and violence against women. I was talking about how as women we are taught to always be alert for possible danger& concerned for our safety, and mentioned being warned repeatedly not to walk alone after dark, because you might be attacked or raped. A man who was there said that he would never have thought of feeling fear of walking alone at night, and hearing about my experiences opened up a new understanding for him. I think this is similar to the need for white people to listen to people of color and understand that the very real fear they have of being accused of something by the police. It’s bad enough to worry about a dangerous stranger hurting or killing you. How would it feel to fear the people who’s job is supposed to be to protect you?