My Personal Plea for Empathy
Racism is wrong no matter who it targets
In late March, my dad sent me a text urging me to be careful when I leave my apartment. Attached was a link to an article about a young woman who was yelled at and spit on in San Francisco. What did she do to deserve that? She is Chinese.
As a kid, I remember the booming voice of my Italian grandfather telling me San Francisco was an amazing city. He was right. I’ve lived in San Francisco for 8 years after moving from my job at ESPN in Connecticut for the launch of the Pac-12 Network in 2012. I was born in the Bronx, grew up in blue collar New Jersey suburbs, attended Fordham University and worked in midtown Manhattan at SiriusXM radio after graduation. I’ve always been comfortable in urban environments and the diversity of San Francisco was appealing.
I’m not sure if I’m more aware of social issues now that I’m getting older or if the cathartic act of self reflection in the wake of senseless violence has given me new perspective; but I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about conversations I’ve had with friends over the years.
I can still hear the disappointment in the voice of a Jewish friend when speaking about antisemitic acts. I remember the confusion and shock as to why two of my black friends in college had guns drawn on them and were…
