Going for a run is an easy thing.
But that’s the point, isn’t it?
It’s easy for me to go for a run, in the middle of the morning, as a white woman.
You can click through to form your own opinion on the story making the social media rounds. My take: specific, intentional racism is still happening in this country, and that’s not okay. So if I can do something as small as taking a run and posting about it to social media to express my support, that’s a thing I want to do.
But, something else about it bothers me.
In my statement above, I said it’s easy for me to go for a run in the middle of the morning as a white woman. You know what’s not easy for any woman? Running in the dark. Running at night. Running in isolated locations. Without the protection of people around or the light of day, women face a very real threat of danger or violence at the hands of men.
And that sucks too.
Which isn’t to diminish what this reprehensible situation means about the safety of black men in America. It’s meant, in fact, to be an expression of solidarity: against discrimination, in support of equality.
So that’s why I ran, with a 13.5 year old arthritic dog who had to be dropped off back home after a mile, in worn-out running shoes because I don’t really run for fitness anymore. And, indeed, I got goosebumps as I thought through why I was doing what I was doing.
I might even run again tomorrow.