Why Race Matters

I was painting a Black Lives Matter mural, someone who is self-identified as a vet, but I can only identify them as a drunk, white man, older than me, in the middle of the day, came up to me and said, "Well, you know, why doesn't my life matter?" I was holding a large stencil that said "Black Lives Matter" many times. He came up and he attacked me. And in the end, he damaged the stencil. But it was the middle of the day right there outside of the-- I guess, the Warby Parker at State and Gorham and... You know, he kind of rushed into the bus stop, attacked me. I punched him once in sort of self-defense. And, mind you, I am 44 years old. I was 43 at the time. Maybe I was 42. I'd never punched a person in my entire life because I am still a man of peace and I've lived this peaceful life. And I guess that also speaks to a certain amount of privilege to not have been attacked.

Angela

Not have to fight. And so, you know, I punched this man. There were three young Black men on the bus stop who saw that go down and they were, you know, were willing to jump in and help me And I was like-- I stopped them from jumping in, you know? And then the guy yells, "Well, I'm a veteran! Why doesn't my life matter?" And...

exhales

Angela

So that's what provoked the attack was his perception that your sign signaled to him that his life didn't matter?

Anwar

Right, right. And what a failing. What a failing on part of our community, on the part of culture, right? What a failing on the part of whoever are supposed to be his resources so that he thinks that his life does matter.

Angela

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