COVID-19 has caused us many fears and one of them is going out of the house. It makes us hesitant to do the things that we used to do outdoors. When you go out it’s like you’re putting your one foot in the grave.

Do you know what is more saddening? It’s the fact that COVID-19 isn’t only the reason why some people are scared of going outside of their homes. There are some who worry about their safety whenever they leave the house because of other people’s judgments and assumptions.

Yes, a person’s wrong judgment towards someone can be harmful.

Unfortunately, Ahmaud Arbery experienced this. According to BBC News, one afternoon when Arbery was out jogging, two men followed him and killed him for no clear reason. Allegedly, the guys thought he matched the description of the suspect for some local break-ins.

Because of this horrendous incident, it is normal for other black joggers to feel scared whenever they go out of the house. Imagine, you just want to exercise and do it where it should be done but at the same time, it bothers you because your life might be put in danger.

This kind of crime makes the hearts of many people full of fear and uncertainty.

Augustus Turner is a black man who bravely talked about this matter via his Facebook post.

“I am a black man who jogs.”

This is how he started his Facebook post which has now gained 148,000 shares. Obviously, he loves jogging, it is part of his system. He has been doing it alone for almost a decade and for him it is safe to do. On the other hand, his wife Michelle has a different view of it.

“This means every few years, I have to move to a completely new suburb, and jog, alone. This means that I, like every Soldier, is used to jogging alone, in new places, where people may not recognize, know, or be familiar with me. I am used to it. My wife is not.”

He revealed how his wife would always remind him about his appearance whenever he jogs alone, outside – where anything can happen.

“For nearly ten years, Michelle Yeager Turner cautioned me about how I appear when I jog alone.”

Michelle is just probably after his safety. So she wants him to wear colorful clothes every time he jogs so he would look “as innocent as possible”.

With what happened to Ahmaud Arbery, she could be right. The activity that her husband loves doing can be harmful only because of his skin color.

“She will not even let me out of the house unless I wear enough colorful and “innocent” clothing so as not to appear suspicious or threatening when I jog. While she has never said it directly, I know that every time I step out the door, she is afraid my appearance alone could get me killed.”

Augustus is a former EMT, licensed attorney, and active duty Army Officer for nine long years. He is aware that he could look threatening to some because as a soldier he has to move to different places every few years – and the people in those places don’t know him. Regardless of his situation, he still doesn’t deserve to be judged for his looks.

“I am a good person! Why would somebody shoot me just because I am black and unfamiliar?”

Clearly, he is a good person who has achieved many things in his life. As an attorney, he has helped over 60 sexual assault victims. This is just one of the good deeds that he has done for others.

As he mentioned some of the things that he has done and the people he has helped, he asked,

“who would want to hurt me? Well, none of that matters because…”

It is also noticeable how upset Augustus is through his post – and what he feels is definitely valid.

No one deserves to feel scared all the time just because of his skin color and it should never define him as a person.

Good thing, Augustus is brave enough to voice out that everyone deserves to be treated well regardless of the color of their skin.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: runwithmaud, BBC News, Augustus Turner, Love What Matters