Yesterday evening my significant other (who is black) and I went to a small lakeside town for some perch and walleye dinners.
We went to the restaurant and she was the only black person there. The town is very white, with a few Latinos in the shadows.
But the town is a popular place for tourists to stop in -- for food or to do lake-related activities.
My significant other, who I will call "T" said she felt like a number of older white folks were giving us mean looks. I ignore this on the rare occasion it happens. It bothers her more though.
Then a black family pulled into the restaurant parking lot. They were dressed a little bit on the urban side. Though the grandma and grandpa were dressed in what looked like church clothes.
Anyway, I am not paying much attention because I am slamming some delicious perch.
But in the corner of my eye in the parking lot I see a little kid, probably about 10 years old, from this black family go running around a car.
T says nonchalantly: "I think she is mad or something..."
Then I see the dad, who is huge -- like linebacker size -- go tearing after her. He catches her between cars, towers over her, and strikes her several times on the head while yelling at her. She is cowering under him and trying to cover her head with her hands to little avail. After about 30 seconds the incident is over, but the little kid is crying, and looks like the strikes her father dealt her certainly hurt.
I quickly glance around the restaurant and see a handful of other people looking at this incident. They avert their eyes, paint over their shocked and upset expressions, and go back to eating.
What would you do?