Perspective

Last week, a woman in her seventies was eating at an outdoor caf? when a young woman on a bicycle rode up, pushed her to the ground, snatched her purse, and would have rode off except for the actions of four men who leaped on her and pinned her to the ground. Another bystander caught the whole thing on video. At one point in the video it shows the young woman attempting to bite the arm of one of the men, who then punched her savagely in the face. When police arrived they found several stolen items in the young woman's backpack. The older woman was treated for head injuries. The overwhelming response from those who watched the video was that the young woman had it coming to her.

This is the colorblind account. Now, here are some possible scenarios:

A) All of the participants were white.

B) None of the participants were white.

C) The woman who was attacked was white and so were the men who jumped the attacker. The attacker was African-American.

D) The woman who was attacked was African-American and so were the men who jumped her attacker. Her attacker was white.

Now, before I tell you which was the correct scenario, here's some things to consider why race is such a difficult subject to talk about.
Let's say it was scenario A. Would it have made the news? Why? Why not?
Let's say it was scenario B. Would it have made the news? Why? Why not?
Let's say it was scenario C. Would it have made the news? Why? Why not?
Let's say it was scenario D. Would it have made the news? Why? Why not?

Scenarios A and B probably would not have attracted much interest. Scenario D might have, with the likely outcome that the men who came to the woman's defense would have been arrested and charged with assault.

The actual scenario was C. Of course the young woman was guilty. There is no doubt about it. There were witnesses, it was filmed, she was caught with stolen goods. But did race play a factor in how it was publicized?

Unfortunately, unlike a multiple-choice test, there is no correct answer key to this one.