Perceptions

Recently I walked into a grocery store, right behind a young black man. He had on a grey sweatshirt, hood pulled up over his head, hands in his pockets, backpack on his back. It was a middle-to-upper class store, in a middle-to-upper class, progressively-minded neighborhood.

I watched the expressions on the shoppers' faces.

Lowered brows. Stares. Craned necks.

I walked up to my young friend, who was actually shopping with me.  I had been delayed while getting a cart and he had entered the store ahead of me.

I watched the faces again, as realization spread across them: Oh, he's with that white woman (little do they know). Everyone visibly relaxed.

This isn't the first time this has happened- I've had almost the exact experiences with several of our young, black male friends, and I have to wonder: how does this affect them? I need to ask, but I'm almost ashamed to.  What is like to be assumed guilty before any crime is even committed? What is like to be seen as only a statistic?  To be the media's favorite target? 

By the way, the young man I was with that night is one of the humblest, most pleasant people I know, and I can only pray that God will keep his heart from bitterness as he lives his life among such prejudice.