I hope, Ezinne, you will continue to write about this important subject, to educate us white folks who want to understand all of our privilege. I don't want to overlook or excuse out of ignorance. I've never lived in your skin and although I am smart and capable of empathy sometime the roots of our ignorance aren't fully understood because, well, ignorance.

I have very limited experience with police. None of it has been very positive, most benign and poor as illustrated by this next bit of my story. Sorry, I'm going so long on a response...

Once, I was participating in a street art festival. I was parked on a side street and my booth was the last one at the same intersection. I could see my truck from my booth--it was about thirty feet away. The rule was you had to get in a long line and drive down the street the show was on until you got to your booth. Often, in the line of vehicles someone further up the street arrived at their booth and the line stalled for a very long time until they could either load their vehicle or find a place to maneuver out of the way.

I reasoned that I could easily pull my truck over to my booth, load up and be out of there in about ten minutes. The Austin. Texas cops walked by and told me to quit shirking the rules and to go and

get in line. I tried to explain the logic and rationality of my choice, all while still loading up the back of my truck with my already packed up items. While I was still arguing with the cops I got almost everything loaded up.

They didn't restrain me but I could tell they were getting angry. Their attitude was very much one of don't talk, we won't listen. Follow the rules. Shit...I just don't work that way and I really wanted to get out of there. I really didn't want to sit in that stupid line going nowhere.

One of the cops finally stood between me and the back of my truck, leaving me standing and holding a heavy box. He then told me he would arrest me if I didn't stop loading my truck.

I didn't get roughed up. I didn't get arrested even though I side stepped the cop. put the box in my truck and explained to the cops that I was finished and would now drive off. One of them took his handcuffs off of the back of his belt but I was already in my truck and already had the key in the ignition. I drove off, nothing more.

At the time, (this was about 25 years ago now) I never considered what would have happened to me if my skin wasn't white. It was clear those two male cops really disliked having a woman point out their illogic, disliked my disobedience, disliked me...but they weren't going to throw me to the ground because there was a crowd a people watching at that point.

I don't believe a person of color would have gotten away with any of what I did. I was allowed to drive away. Cop had his handcuffs out and I drove away.

I just watched HBO's Traffic Stop. Same city's cops. Same attitude about listening to the logic of what Breaion King had to say.

The cops in my story would have had a far harder time throwing me around than they did tiny, light as a feather Breaion King but I don't think that is what stopped them.

And clearly, from the dash cam footage of King's arrest, what triggered the cop into escalating the situation was King's questioning them, asking what in the world was going on.

I have a lot to learn. I would like the world to be safe and fair for all of its citizens. It isn't your responsibility to teach me and yet I hope you and other writers who can share more, will share more.