Walking While White

Two nights ago, Jasper and I went on our nightly, late-night walk, which is now technically-illegal due to the curfew.

As we rounded the first corner, I could see two men, maybe late-twenties, one black and one white, approaching from the other direction. I thought, "Well, at least there are three of us who have no business being here."

The two strangers approached, and the black fellow asked, "Do you know where ARCO is?" I asked, for clarification, "ARCO?" "Yes," he replied, "the gas station."

I turned to point behind me. As I turned, I noticed the black fellow had something unidentifiable in his hand. For a second, I felt a pang of fear - similar to the pangs of fear that got Stephon Clark killed two years ago.

I turned back. "Two blocks, back behind me," I said. They both thanked me and moved on. Never identified the mysterious object. A cell phone, maybe, or maybe something else.

Just another night of walking while white.