As Reggie and his troupe were finishing up her yard, a Maple Heights Police SUV rolled up in front of Holt-Colden’s house.
.. Recently, African Americans who were engaged in laughably innocuous activities have been viewed through criminal-tinted glasses — and suddenly found themselves making explanations to police officers and security guards about completely lawful activities.
Someone called the police on a black man who was
- reading a book about Christianity while watching the ocean. Black people have had the authorities sicced on them while
- going to the gym,
- shopping for underwear,
- waiting for the school bus and
- couponing.
.. A few weeks ago, an 8-year-old
- selling cold water to passersby to help fund a trip to Disneyland was approached by a white woman who pretended to call the police on her. In 2012, police were summoned to an elementary school in Georgia, where they handcuffed a
- 6-year-old kindergarten student — for throwing a temper tantrum.
.. the neighbor reported a snowball fight between Holt-Colden’s children.
.. Holt-Colden said she wants more people to do what they can to keep children occupied with meaningful tasks. She worried that Reggie’s interaction with the police would be discouraging.