I recently moved into a new condo complex. I had arranged a surprise birthday party for my wife and I had invite a few friends over to surprise my wife. In order not to ruin the surprise I went down to the lobby to welcome my friends in.
Upon reaching the lobby, I noticed a gentleman staring at my friends waiting to be let in. I originally thought nothing of it. I walked them in and the gentleman proceed to follow us. The elevators were taking quite long so the gentleman started punching the elevator buttons. I advise him to stop which seemed to angry him and he responded with “dont f**king talk to me”. We were all very shocked at his response as we entered the elevator.
I remember telling him his language wasn’t appreciated and this threw him into a rage. He began insulting my guests and I, then called us a bunch of n-words and doesn’t understand why we are allowed to live in the building and should go back to where we came from.
I was shocked, dumbfounded and embarrassed me and my guests had to endure such racist behavior for no apparent reason. In the following days, I made a complaint to the property management and condo board and he was eventually evicted from the rental he lived in. They had already received numerous complaints and racist encounters with this gentleman.
These are the situations we Black people find ourselves in on a daily basis. Enough is enough and this has to stop now.
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As we grapple with inequalities that have always existed but are more visible and striking in the past weeks, we currently find ourselves at an inflection point, the right time to have the right conversation and do the right thing. The dialogue begins with listening, understanding and empathy. We must lend meaningful support to transform this from a flashpoint into a real turning point. As an artist, I understand the impact of art and how it helps us express and understand the world around us. It allows us to examine what it means to be human, to voice and express, and to bring people and ideas together. We should pledge to double down in our efforts of championing Black talent, in all its rich diversity. Black Creatives Matter.