Ask Amy: College student worries about racism at home
Dear Readers: To mark my final week writing this column, I’ve fired up the “Ask Amy” Wayback machine and am re-running some memorable Q&As culled from the last 21 years of “Ask Amy.”
Dear Amy: I’m a college student from the suburbs of San Francisco. I’ve been attending college in New York.
My best friend from school is coming to visit me this summer, and I couldn’t be more excited! But, excitement aside, I do have concerns.
In a time where people of color, especially men, are having the police called on them for everything from waiting for a friend in Starbucks to taking a nap in a common area of a dorm building, I am worried about my neighbors’ potential reaction to a man of color showing up in their predominantly white suburb.
I have toyed with the idea of making a post on nextdoor.com[a neighborhood social media site] asking people to think twice before panicking, should they see my friend walking down the street, as he belongs there as much as they do, but I know my county prides itself on being a liberal and progressive area, and I don’t want to insult anyone.
I don’t want to upset my community by accusing them of racist behavior I have never witnessed, but I am aware of incidents taking place in similar communities.
I do not know what to do to offend as few people as possible, while still trying to make sure my friend feels safe and welcome in the place I call home.
Your suggestion?
– Toeing the Line
Dear Toeing the Line: In recent neighborhood news, “neighbors” in a community similar to yours called the police because they saw an African-American firefighter (in uniform) performing a safety inspection in the neighborhood. The firefighter’s white (female) colleague said that in the future, she would accompany him on neighborhood sprinkler checks, basically for his own safety.
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