Opinion: Scared to exist while Black

As a Black person, my world seems upside down.

If you are non-white, should you be scared?

YES!

On a personal note, my husband ordered a pizza online yesterday, and we were a little early to pick it up. Being mindful of the coronavirus, we parked in a parking space until 5:30 when it was scheduled to be finished. It was already paid for, since we ordered it online. We pulled up in front of the restaurant to pick it up. While my husband (the driver) went in, I stayed in the car. His window was rolled down. A white man exiting Kroger passed by and shouted into the window looking at me, and said in a very menacing voice, "That's not a parking space!"  That comment could have made me respond in a negative fashion, but I kept my cool. His attempt to police me is an example of someone who should have been minding his own business instead of approaching me and ruining my evening.

Yes, I'm scared to be around some people. The evidence shows that because of global racism, non-whites are dying more from being the most poor, the most uneducated, the most religious, the most lynched, the most exploited, the most incarcerated, unemployed, sick, sexually abused, mentally unstable, drugged out, politically disadvantaged, vilified, downtrodden, and stereotyped.

Being me is scary because I don’t know how to respond, whether to pick up my gun or slink into my house, pull the covers over my head, and pray.

How are you feeling today?