first taste of profiling? is this just paranoia? please advise

[carolinayellowdog]

I just posted this in a Facebook group about mixed ancestry research, and can't tell if I just saw some horrible reality that faces black Americans on a daily basis-- or if it was a case of overactive imagination:

I'm sorry if this is off-topic, but as an old middle class white man I have to report an experience I had on an Amtrak train last week that relates to this blog. On the way back from DC to Danville I spent half the time in the club car playing cards (spades, interestingly) with three young black people- one man from Queens, NY, another from Greensboro, and a young lady from New Orleans now living in NJ. And for the first time in my white life, I got the distinct impression that we were being eavesdropped on, spied on, in our club car conversation by the concession attendant-- an impression shared by at least one of my card playing companions. It was downright weird to feel that I was part of a group that was being racially profiled as somehow "up to no good"-- and MAYBE it was all in our imaginations. But never in my life have I had such a sensation before, and it seems more than coincidental that I was having a good time with three young black people the first time in my life this ever happened to me. Hope it was all in my imagination.

[Warpy]

1. Yeah, I had the same impression in NC when I played whist

with a mixed bunch of people after calculus at the local junior college (high school didn't offer it).

It was the staring and "what they up to?" from people of all colors that did it.

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. What you know about Whist? ...

It's a great card game; but I don't know anyone under the age of 50, that knows how to play.

[KurtNYC]

2. subtle racism is hard to pin down

I went to a club in Los Angeles with a friend who is African American. He is older than me and looks it. They didn't card me but they carded him. Was it his skin color or something else? Don't know for sure but my guess is: skin color. He is used to it and just remained polite and unphased.

Sadly, there is enough blatant racism to deal with.

[carolinayellowdog]

6. this guy is terrific, thanks n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Isn't it better to not ascribe motive?

Sometimes I listen in on interesting conversations. Sometimes I learn things that way.

Maybe your attendant was a bigoted jerk. Maybe not.

[carolinayellowdog]

4. a bit more background

the concession lady was sitting one booth over from us and seemed to be talking to someone on a walkie-talkie of some kind. Leaned over and whispered something to the New Orleans lady at which point she and the Queens guy returned to their seats. Then a couple of middle aged guys walked into the club car and the Greensboro guy said "they look like undercover cops."

Impression: old white and young black man hitting it off must be about to make a drug deal. On Amtrak? On first acquaintance?

Will never know if he was paranoid as hell or if we were about to be interrogated --before going back to our own seats.

[LiberalAndProud]

5. You may well have been profiled.

All kinds of narratives can be conjured from your description. NSA comes immediately to mind.

What can you do?