(he/him)

I went away for a long weekend to a small Pennsylvania town this past President’s Day weekend. I was aware of the fact, but had not given it much thought, that this part of the state heavily favored Donald Trump. As I waited at a pedestrian crosswalk for the walk signal, an older gentleman and his acquaintances walked up behind me. He began to talk loudly as if he wanted me to hear exactly what he had to say. Out of nowhere, he went on to say that President Obama was the worst eight-year president in the history of our country. It was as if he was trying to get a rise out of me. I immediately realized his intent and decided to ignore him. Nothing good could come from engaging. I had forgotten that encounter by the time my date and I decided to visit a local eatery. We walked in and took a seat, but for 20 minutes we were ignored by the staff. Finally, my date had enough and demanded we leave to preserve our dignity. If you are white, imagine how you would feel when you go to another country and you realize that your appearance is different and you stand out. You know you must be on guard for all kinds of potential problems, and rightfully so. That can be extremely stressful. Now imagine you have to feel this way in your own country for much of your life! Imagine the damage it does to you.