“What did he look like?” “Friendly.”

Matt Nightingale
Santa Rosa, CA

My name is Matt, and my family and I are white. About five years ago, I learned a powerful lesson from my son.

I had taken my kids to go swimming. I noticed my 7-year-old son Zach playing with a little African-American boy for quite a while. That night as I tucked him in, he brought up something funny his new friend had said.

I wanted to see how he would describe his new friend to me, so I said, “I think I saw you with your friend. What did he look like?” He thought for a second and then said… “Hmmmm… Friendly?”

I saw an African-American boy. Zach saw a friendly boy.