1. What are the unique challenges Cadogan faces as he walks each city (Kingston, New Orleans, and New York City)? What do we learn, indirectly, about each city from Cadogan’s personal experiences?
Through his narrative we indirectly learn that each city has their own tolerance to race. They’re all different, and have unique rules that present an arbitrariness to racism that have to be discovered through experience. From Kingston to New York, we see how Cadogan reflect this sense of uniqueness as he recounts how alienated and unsafe he felt in each city. In Kingston he is at home and doesn’t have much of a consciousness about his race. Thus he doesn’t feel apprehensive. New Orleans on the other hand was a different reality. Cadogan explains how people feared him, they even threatened to attack him. Cadogan gives proof of this as he states, “I tried to help a man whose wheelchair was stuck in the middle of a crosswalk; he threatened to shoot me in the face, then asked a white pedestrian for help” (Cadogan 5). This not only demonstrates how prejudice some people can be, but also how dangerous those interactions can become. Even New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world, alienated him. He describes that he was punched in the gut by a white man who though he was attacking him. Or how he needed a white friend to walk with him so he wouldn’t look dangerous.
2. What rules or restrictions have you placed on your own movements–walks on campus, or around your hometown–with your own safety in mind? In what ways do you connect personally to Cadogan’s piece (be specific by naming those spots).
Approaching this piece as a white man who lives in a peaceful neighborhood, I find it difficult to personally connect with Cadogan’s narrative. I generally don’t feel the need to be worried about what others might think of me, and I certainly don’t feel as though I’m in danger from others. The only exception would be walking behind a woman for a long period of time. I worry that perhaps they think I’m following them, but frankly I can’t recall any times when that was the case. I’m typically not walking around at night unless it’s with friends or if I’m walking my dog. I think this best relates to Cadogan’s experiences of walking the streets of Jamaica. Cadogan recounts these experiences when he says, “I was astonished at how safe the streets felt to me, once again one black body among many, no longer having to anticipate the many ways my presence might instill fear and how to offer some reassuring body language” (Cadogan 8). In other words, Cadogan is saying that unlike his experiences in the United States, when he’s back in Jamaica he doesn’t feel as though he sticks out from the rest. This is how I feel when I’m in my own neighborhood or at school.
3. Describe a time when you felt unsafe while walking or traveling. What factors made you feel unsafe? How did you respond? Describe your interactions with those around you (if applicable).
The most unsafe I’ve ever felt while walking was probably when I was traveling though an airport in Germany. Going through security was unlike any other airport experience I had ever had before. There were body searches for me and each of my teammates, thorough inspections of all of our bags, and to make things worse we were constantly being watched by men with Uzis, assault riffles, and aggressive dogs. I relate this to Cadogan’s metaphor of feeling like he was walking through a minefield. Cadogan describes this comparison as he says, “the sidewalk was a minefield, and every hesitation and self-censored compensation reduced my dignity. Despite my best efforts, the streets never felt comfortably safe. Even a simple salutation was suspect” (Cadogan 7). This metaphor describes how self-conscious one must be when walking apprehensively.
