This brought back a sad racial experience I had in university in the US. I put on my hazard lights and waited for a car to pass before reversing into a parking spot (hard to find free spots in Evanston). Instead of driving past, the car aggressively drove into the parking spot. https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1265266455580495872

I got out and walked up to the driver’s window and politely informed him that I was clearly trying to park there. He told me to get lost (in slightly harsher words). I was annoyed because I had driven around for 30 minutes before finding that spot. I told him he needed to move.

In very clear English, he told me that he wasn’t moving, and that if I didn’t leave he would call the police. Then he reminded me that if the police arrived to a black person and a white person arguing, I should know which of us would go to jail. I was so upset but I left anyway.

A few weeks later, I saw him at a party. When he saw me, he was shocked! He tried to avoid making eye contact. I walked up to him and told him what he did was extremely unacceptable. He apologized. He didn’t know I also attended the university. His apology landed flat. Too late!

That experience was simply one of many subtle ways in which there was always a reminder around the corner when I lived in America. The message was clear each time: it is someone else’s territory and when push comes to shove, I am not equal.

I’ve never carried any baggage from that experience, and I never felt inferior. I have a lot of American friends from different races, and of course they’re amazing.

That said, these experiences made it clear that once I got the right work experiences, it was time to go home.

It’s so sad seeing just how pervasive the race problem in America is, and it doesn’t seem to be improving! It breaks my heart that a lot of black people have no other “home”, have to live with being unequal citizens in their own country, and can’t just up and leave like I did.