Naomi - // Andy-hughes, //her decision was motivated by the notion that a black man with white children must be up to no good.//
We can’t say that. She questioned something she thought unusual – and rightly so. Her first thoughts were for the safety of the children and I applaud her for that. //
If you saw a white man with two white children walking along, and the children were clearly not distressed, not crying, not pulling to get away, not looking round in a fearful way, you would proceed about your business, anyone would.
If you saw a black man doing the same thing, then the only difference in the situation is the colour of the man's skin. If you act on that basis, then that is racism.
You can dress it up in the notion that she was 'concerned for the children's safety' if you want - but why would you do that?
The only flag for 'concern' is the differing ethnicity of the man and the children - nothing else at all appears to have alerted this woman to the notion that 'something may be wrong'.
Let's offer the benefit of the doubt - she could follow them for a few minutes, she would soon be able to tell if the children were being taken against their will, but she didn;t do that. She acted on her suspicion based on her racist attitudes - that a black man with white children means something is wrong.