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Apologies for two threads on racism in quick succession- but there is something important about the Amy Cooper incident that hasn’t been mentioned.
And while I’m tweeting about events of this last week, it seems worth pointing out.
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And while I’m tweeting about events of this last week, it seems worth pointing out.
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Amy Cooper is the woman who called police when asked to respect dog rules in Central Park.
Everyone could see how she pointedly referred to being ‘threatened by an African-American man’ because the chance of the police rushing to her aid and believing her would be higher.
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Everyone could see how she pointedly referred to being ‘threatened by an African-American man’ because the chance of the police rushing to her aid and believing her would be higher.
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TWO things get overlooked:
First, her call about a ‘threatening’ black man was less a message to police about her fear and more a message to him about her power.
That’s how triggering racist tropes works: she hoped he’d take off in fear, not even wait around for police.
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First, her call about a ‘threatening’ black man was less a message to police about her fear and more a message to him about her power.
That’s how triggering racist tropes works: she hoped he’d take off in fear, not even wait around for police.
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Second, there is a more subtle version of this that happens often:
Imagine he was her workmate rather than a man in the park.
And imagine she’d been complaining to company HR not to police.
She wouldn’t even have needed to mention his race to trigger the racist trope...
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Imagine he was her workmate rather than a man in the park.
And imagine she’d been complaining to company HR not to police.
She wouldn’t even have needed to mention his race to trigger the racist trope...
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Because if he was her colleague, simply saying to HR:
“I find him threatening” when everyone already knows he’s black would be enough.
He’d be defending himself not just against her perception, but also against a racist trope about black men that many are prone to believe.
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“I find him threatening” when everyone already knows he’s black would be enough.
He’d be defending himself not just against her perception, but also against a racist trope about black men that many are prone to believe.
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It’s one reason so many black men I know are constantly trying to shrink themselves in the workplace.
They’re petrified that an allegation that they are too intimidating or threatening will stick, even if it’s bogus.
It’s not easy to perform well like that.
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They’re petrified that an allegation that they are too intimidating or threatening will stick, even if it’s bogus.
It’s not easy to perform well like that.
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When a complaint aligns with a stereotype, it’s a strong sign extra care is needed.
That applies to the ‘hysterical’ woman; the ‘aggressive’ black woman; the ‘timid’ Asian woman and- because it may be a matter of life and death- the ‘threatening/intimidating’ black man.
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That applies to the ‘hysterical’ woman; the ‘aggressive’ black woman; the ‘timid’ Asian woman and- because it may be a matter of life and death- the ‘threatening/intimidating’ black man.
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