oday, I had a really upsetting and disappointing experience at a store that I used to like. As soon as I walked in, I noticed that the scrutiny guard and some of the workers were staring at me in a way that made me feel really uncomfortable. It wasn’t the usual kind of attention you get when someone’s ready to help — this was different. They looked at me like I didn’t belong there, like I was doing something wrong just by being in the store.

Not long after I walked in, I realized that one of the workers was following me. At first, I tried to ignore it, thinking maybe I was just overthinking things. But then I noticed another worker doing the same thing, and then the security guard joined in too. They weren’t being secretive about it either. They were walking down the same aisles as me, pretending to fix things or act busy, but it was obvious they were watching my every move.

It really hurt because I wasn’t doing anything suspicious. I was just looking around, trying to find a few things to buy. But instead of feeling welcomed, I felt like I was being treated like a criminal. The workers didn’t greet me with kindness or ask if I needed help. Instead, they looked at me with judgment in their eyes. They didn’t smile or speak to me with any respect — they were rude, cold, and had absolutely no manners.

What made it worse is that it seemed like the only reason they were acting this way toward me was because I’m a Black girl. It felt like they had already made up their minds about who I was before I even opened my mouth. They followed me like they thought I was going to steal something, and it was humiliating. No one should ever be made to feel like that just because of the color of their skin.

I left the store feeling angry, disrespected, and honestly just really sad. No one should ever have to go through what I went through today. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, no matter what they look like or where they come from. This experience reminded me that there’s still a lot of work to do when it comes to treating people fairly and equally.