# Walking while white **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-while-white/925921 "2020-11-18T21:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-while-white/925921/1 "2020-11-18T21:41:30Z")
I went with my wife for a walk along the lakefront houses, on a dead end.Every car that went past had a driver that smiled and waved. I was thinking if I were a young black man I would had a different experience. I can thank the dope for those thoughts. I also never thought about how much I got away with because I am white. Got off with a warning, ticketed but not searched, and only charged with a single violation when I had committed several. I live in a city that was a sundown town. I remember an old man at work saying how they used to stop “the negroes” at the train station to see if they were in town for a job. My first house had a deed restriction that said the house could not be sold to a negro. My high school had one black student. So thanks again for making me think about race and how life treats you due to ones appearance. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-while-white/925921/2 "2020-11-18T23:06:39Z")
It’s good to think about. The next step is to consider what you can do to alter your own behavior/response, etc. so that a black person in your town would feel comfortable asking you questions such as directions, what’s the best hardware store, where’s a good place to eat, etc. Would you be willing to go with them to the store or dine with them in your town? No I’m not asking you to pretend a friendship that it takes time to build, just treat them like a white person you don’t know in your town. Just keep studying on the subject. I didn’t used to think I had prejudices, but of course I do. Mine are not so much about skin color, but I wince at all the differences we have from other folks educated/not, multicultural background/not, religion/not or other, political, regional, age; the list does not stop. My goal is to work on removing expectations and just try to see people for who they are. It’s a huge challenge, but I’m going to keep trying. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-while-white/925921/3 "2020-11-18T23:53:24Z")
I am lucky in that I have two daughters who live in Milwaukee.l get to meet their friends and co workers that are much more diverse than the people I was friends with in my twenties.