For context: Im a 6ft afro-latino curly afro and beard. And this happened on the 15th floor in the North Building
Ive been going to Hunter for about 2 years now. Im a transfer student and this upcoming spring/winter should be my last year here. Hunter is great for me, lots of opportunities and nice professors that know their stuff and willing to help potential students in grad school/law/med school.
My days on campus are usually regular. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my long days. Yesterday I was on my way to my last class Sociology. My previous class before that one Afro-religions was canceled (the professor said he had a family emergency). So I sat in the library on my phone to waste time. After awhile I decided I leave for Sociology as we all know, getting to the north building on the double digit floors is annoying af in-between classes periods with the elevators.
Anyways, walk the overpass, wait for the elevators by the 3rd floor and up I go. I get off the 15th floor and I walk to my classroom at the end of the hallway on the left side (room 1527). I see my professors first class is still there in session so I'm still too early. I decide "well, let me see if there are empty classrooms on this floor that I can chill at" (for those of you who don't know, at Hunter you're allowed to use an empty/unoccupied classroom to sit at, study, eat lunch, hang with your friends etc. Just as long as you aren't crazy loud and causing a disturbance).
So there I am, walking up and down the hallways looking into classrooms to see if I find an empty one. Go all around the corners and I see nothing. I end up telling myself "fine, I'll just wait outside my next classm it should be about 10/15 minutes or so. As im turning around and walking back. There's a white, older custodian woman (the ones that have the big cart they use to clean the bathrooms) that stops and asks me
"Are ya looking for something?"
"Excuse me?"
"I said, are ya looking for something or someone?"
"No...." I narrow my eyes in suspicion of why shes asking me
"Oh, I just ask because some people are looking for the library"
"No, im fine" *I keep walking back to the classroom"
As im walking back I start wondering.... The library is on the 3rd floor towards the east building. Why was did she think I was looking for the library??? Did she assume I was up to something bad because I was black and looking into classrooms?
For people who are quick to defend. Yes, its a college campus and bc of insane stuff nowadays, yes staff and professors are told to be vigilant of certain things. Maybe I'm mistaken and theres another library in the north building? This is the first semester I have a class in that building, I just know it for STEM/pre-med/pre-nursing classes. But as I just said. Students are allowed to use empty classrooms. Could she not see maybe I was looking for one?
My whole thing is, I wasn't causing a disturbance yet she still stopped me. Would she have stopped a white/non POC student?
Im still thinking it through but im leaning on Racial Profiling. Again why are you stopping me if im not causing a disturbance. This floor is just classrooms, nothing like an event or media/common room like the Terrance on the 8th floor or the Cafeteria that sometimes has events.