Reading Time: 4 minutes I recently talked to a lovely white woman who stood by quietly watching another white woman being very nasty with a black man who was walking his dog through their neighborhood. While she didn’t call the police she threatened to do just that.

This man was clearly shaken. He explained to her he lived in the neighborhood and he walked his dog there frequently. However, it escalated quickly when he wouldn’t provide her his address.

My friend stood there. She wanted to interject. She wanted to speak up, but she was terrified. However, she didn’t and the guilt was killing her. She actually crossed the street to get away from the drama and watch from a safe distance. She was seriously considering combing the neighborhood looking for this man so she could apologize – but she was afraid to do that too.

So, what is a white person to do when they witness a racist shakedown?
Crossing the street and staying silent is NOT the thing to do.