When driving to a pre-location scout on Wednesday, I went to the wrong house in Sand Canyon thinking that I saw vehicles that belonged to the pre-scout production crew. When I realized I was at the wrong address, I backed out of the driveway saying a silent prayer. I am a Black Woman with an old car, and I don’t look like the residents of the predominantly white neighborhood.
All I could think of were the recent shootings. A high school student who went to the wrong address to pick up his siblings and was shot by the homeowner after ringing the doorbell. And then a group of friends who while driving through a rural area looking for a friend's house turned into the wrong driveway. In the process of turning around the homeowner came out of the house and killed one of the passengers.
As a person who works in Set Dressing, I often go in and out of houses belonging to people I hardly know. I was especially alarmed by the shootings this last week linked to mistaken addresses.
Then, there was the news of the tragic birthday party where 4 people were killed and 32 people were injured. In addition, the Urban League’s disappointing report on the State of Black America. The report states that Black people have continued to slip further behind white people in education, social justice, and civic engagement. Killer Mike famously said “plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize.” What can we do as a collective so that making the mistake of going to the wrong address won’t have lethal repercussions, what can be done to prevent mass shootings, and how can we bring more equity to all races in this country?
Actionable Steps
Have unconscious bias training for all members of IATSE
Join the political action pack
Support licensing processes for gun owners including background checks
Support State bans on buying large-capacity magazines or ammunition-feeding devices for semi-automatic weapons
Some key points of the “State of Black America” report are as follows:
The median household income for Black people at $43,862, which is 37% less than that of white people, at $69,823.
Life expectancy has declined slightly for African Americans, so a
Black child born today can expect to live to 74.7, four years less than a white baby.
Schools with more minority students are more likely to have inexperienced, less trained, and even uncertified teachers. Fewer of these students are enrolled in STEM classes, leading to higher-paying jobs.
Black people have been more than twice as likely as white people to experience threats or uses of force during police encounters and three times more likely to be jailed if arrested. In 2020, they were 93% more likely to be victims of hate crimes.
Election misinformation spread during the 2020 election has restricted voting access in districts with large populations of Black Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans.
