Shopping While Black

I was reading someone else's blog and they did a post on something I am and millions of others are familiar with. Its called Shopping While Black. The name is a play off of the term Driving While Black, which also takes a similar premise.

Shopping While Black means when you go into a store, you are usually followed or watched because of the stereotype that blacks steal. The irony of this is that majority of shoplifters are white. In fact a few months ago I watched a show on WE that had to do with shoplifting, and its weird, all the women on there were white, they were all women you would never think would steal or have the need to steal.

It sucks alot to be followed and harassed simply for your skin color, and the reality is your race is less likely to steal from those stores in the first place!!!

To be a person of color and to NOT have a story of racial profiling is rare. I think almost all of us have a couple of stories.

I am one of those peoples that doesn't fight back if I don't have to. Meaning, if all they do is just follow me or say something snotty but they do not do anything physical such as calling the police then I essentially prefer not to fight the issue. White society is mostly racist, and nothing can be done about that, a white person will defend a racist white person before doing the right thing from what I have learned through past experiences. Because society is so racist, that means one will be faced with multiple racist acts in their own life time and it just seems better to be more choosy about which racist acts to fight back and which to ignore.

When you are a 2nd class citizen, you know there is nothing you can do about it other than accept your position and just deal with it and make the most of it.

There are no real tips to help someone when shopping. Some say to carry a small purse and to keep your hands out in the open. Others say shop alone, do not shop with whites as they could steal and then leave you to take the blame, and do not shop with blacks as too many blacks together may bring about more unwanted attention.

Its unpredictable because you never know which kind of hateful retail clerk you will get. You got ones that will be a bitch to you simply for your weight. And then many malls are also implementing rules about how old you can be at a certain time at the mall, so there is always the being young issue. But I don't think any tops the shopping while black issue. You can always change your weight and you will eventually get older, but you will always be black, and America will always be anti-black.