Amanda Gorman: 'A security guard tailed me on my walk home tonight...he was right, I am a threat.'

[bigtree]

Amanda Gorman @TheAmandaGorman
A security guard tailed me on my walk home tonight. He demanded if I lived there because “you look suspicious.” I showed my keys & buzzed myself into my building. He left, no apology. This is the reality of black girls: One day you’re called an icon, the next day, a threat.

Amanda Gorman @TheAmandaGorman 1h
In a sense, he was right. I AM A THREAT: a threat to injustice, to inequality, to ignorance. Anyone who speaks the truth and walks with hope is an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be.
twitter.com/TheAmandaGorman/status/1368016803553710082

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Blue Owl]

1. Go get 'em Amanda

[Trueblue1968]

2. he should be fired immediatly. if i had my way ....... he'd be locked up

[Blue_true]

5. He should be fired.

Unfortunately, her being followed is not to be unexpected, she is a young, rich Black person in a area that most likely don’t have many Black people. But the security guard should have apologized and thanked her for being a resident of the place.

[Lord Ludd]

35. To that "guard," everyone looks suspicious

whose skin color is darker than a light tan.

[TwilightZone]

3. Off-hand, I can't think of anyone who looks less suspicious of...

well, anything, than she does.

God, this country sometimes....

[iluvtennis]

8. + agree, nt

[OldBaldy1701E]

17. Tell me about it. (n/t)

[ShazzieB]

30. Amen to this. nt

[Blue_true]

4. I hope that she take the issue up with management.

Give date and time, they will know who was on security.

Depending what the area is like, the security guard paying attention is not a issue. But he should have professional approached her and then thanked her, while explaining why he made the check.

I am Black, I don’t mind being asked to identify when in a situation where I know that could happen (like visiting business associates in a wealthy area). But I expect professionalism once I point out that I am where I should be. I really don’t get upset about casual racial type-casting, I just deal with it and how about my way, no need to get bent out of shape - typically I have far more important things to deal with at that time.

[onecaliberal]

6. Unless he checks everyone like that it's unacceptable to check her

Because she’s black.

[luvtheGWN]

10. I agree.

Let's say he did stop and say something to her: what exactly would he say? "I followed you because......".

This crap has GOT TO STOP. No excuses.

[Blue_true]

11. I am Black, I have had people do that to me. I just answer whatever questions

they have, then forget that they existed after walking away from them.

[onecaliberal]

14. You should NOT have to go through it. I am so over it for you.

[Blue_true]

15. It doesn't bother me at all. I view them as uniformed idiots, I don't allow

myself to get bent out of shape by that type.

[multigraincracker]

7. Years from now, no one will

remember that guy.

[DBoon]

9. The security guard should be protecting her safety

not questioning her right to be there.

[BobTheSubgenius]

12. What a reality to have to live.

Those of us who won a certain genetic lottery and thus have never, or very, very rarely had those racial tables turn on us have no idea.

An incident like that happening to us, or, very unlikely, having extreme empathy and being able to feel the pain, anger, fear and whatever else, immediately after, they can let their BP and pulse come back down, the adrenaline dissipate and mental equilibrium return. Then, that person might be able to put up some mental defences and shrug it off.

But the POC gets to get up the next day, if they're lucky, and get ready to relive that outrage on this, a new day. Or the day after. The surest thing in their lives is that it will happen again. There is no shrugging it off.

[DSandra]

21. The genetic lottery vastly determines your experience of life

The genetic lottery determines how hard your life will be and how pleasant your life will be. There is race of course, and height, and of course how good looking someone is, and even personality and charm factor (which is partly genetic influenced), intelligence, and resistance to life damaging things like serious illnesses including mental illnesses like depression.

The genetic lottery as well as the lottery of who your born to determines how easy it will be to make friends, how wealthy and well connected your friends will be, how easy it will be to get a suitable partner, and thus how easy or hard it will be to get a good education, a good paying job and thus be able to buy a house and build wealth, and to be able to start a business and even how successful that business may be (given your ability to attract investment and use connections.). People who didn’t get a high place in the twin lotteries will have a much harder time to do anything, if possible, and thus are stuck in hard mode.

Life is very unfair and if you won a high place in the genetic lottery you should appreciate it while remembering that a lot of people weren’t as lucky and is not their fault.

[BobTheSubgenius]

36. I think I can safely say I've appreciated the row I've had to hoe.

For at least 3 decades, I have been telling my friends "If you ever hear me complaining about my lot in life, smack me in the head."

No fooling. That has been my mantra, and I've tried to give back, at least as I've been able. My BIG material lottery win was having an opportunity and the funding to buy a multi-unit residential property. This financed almost all of my adult life, even though I came nowhere close to maximizing it.

I kept the rents at least 30% below market and rented to people that needed that, in as much as possible. One of my tenants was an elderly, partially-disabled lady when I bought the place in 1988, and still there when I sold it in 2012. In that time, I raised her rent $35. Sometimes, I'd even let rent slide, depending on circumstances.

I know my blessings, and I know how to count.

[burrowowl]

13. Right she is a threat,

the word is mightier than the sword!

[DoBotherMe]

16. Are there any Sunday political shows who have the guts

To put her on put her on their panel. This is topical news.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. I find her an amazing young woman

[TheFarseer]

19. If he was concerned

Why not a friendly "Hi, are you new in the building/neighbourhood or just visiting?" Followed by a "Nice to meet you, have a nice day!" Weve had security guards at work who were like that. They were friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and observant. The number 1 necessary quality for that job is not being an asshole for no reason.

[mainer]

20. I'm guessing this was sexual harassment

And the guy saw her as a tempting target for assault. She does not look threatening at all. If I were her, I'd be scared that this guy will come after her again.

[Jilly_in_VA]

25. I agree

After I thought about it for a hot minute, I decided he was stalking her, and when she confronted him, he pulled the "threat" card. She'd be wise to look out for him in the future. He might not even be a security guard anywhere. The uniforms aren't that hard to come by. She's a young, pretty Black woman. And now he knows where she lives.

[LisaM]

22. These security guards need to be better paid and better trained.

Likely they just have some really low-paid person from an agency who doesn't know the people where he works. That's not how it should work. It's likely someone getting paid entry-level wages with zero training. Am I defending what happened? Absolutely not. But this seems as it could be avoided if places had their own well-trained and decently paid security staff. We have (supposedly) security people in our parking garage to deter car break-ins and you never see the same person twice.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

23. People at all income levels harass and racially profile others.

[twodogsbarking]

24. At the income level of a Senator, or

President? Yep.

[momta]

26. Threaten away, Amanda!

The world needs more "threats" like you.

[The Jungle 1]

27. Kinda makes an old man warm and happy.

March on America.

[smirkymonkey]

28. Disgraceful!

I am sorry that she had to experience that injustice. Not acceptible!

[movingviolation]

29. Anyone who speaks the truth and walks with hope is an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be

Last edited Sat Mar 6, 2021, 06:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Love it.

on edit: Sue the pants off the guard, the guard service, and the property management company/building owner. Then when she owns the building, rename it to The Amanda Gorman Building...

[evolves]

31. "an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be"

Rise strong, young Amanda!

[WarGamer]

32. She shoulda' video'd it with her iPhone...

Get his ass fired.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

33. She looks suspiciously happy in that photo.

I could understand a guard making sure she got home ok, but challenging her as "suspicious" is just a load of b.s.

[AwakeAtLast]

34. I pre-ordered her book

Making her #1 would make me so happy!