Just would like to pass

[Kind of Blue]

3. My experience this past fall was being profiled by a white street person.

We were at a street fair in my old neighborhood that holds the largest fair in SoCal. A very, very diverse neighborhood from Africans, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Europe-Americans and the fair attracts everybody up and down the state. It's so huge that it's a 2-day weekend affair.

It's hot and I lose my mom and sisters in the throng of people. I decided to sit on a bench and just watch the masses parade up and down, figured eventually I'd spot my family. Soon, an old bum sits down, too, with huge plate of food. He's dressed in a completely soiled shirt and suit. We exchange greetings. Then he says, "You're a fine figure of a nigger." I decide to ignore him and he continues to ramble growing uncomfortable trying to explain himself. I ignore him. Then he gets agitated and then angry and laughs nervously. I ignore him. Then two white police officers pass. The bum sets his plate down, jumps up yelling, "Officers! Officers!" He catches up to the cops on the corner, continues talking and pointing at me.

I can't hear what he's telling them but now I'm stunned. Actually petrified for the first time that all the cops have to do is believe him and I'm in trouble for doing NOTHING. The cops are looking at me, assessing what to make of me. They decide to leave me alone and walk away from the bum, I'm almost positive their gestures reassures the man to contact them if I give him anymore trouble.

The man spins around. He watches as I pick up his plate of delicious smelling food and toss it into the trash bin.