When an Obviously Racist ‘Shopping While Black’ Situation Is Happening, Who Steps In to Help? (*Trigger Warning*)

“Shopping while Black” is a faux crime that Black people fear committing—along with a whole host of other “___ while Black” faux offenses that are rooted in racism against Black people rather than in any real crime or even action—and consists of being treated with suspicion by store staff. Many Black people have experienced it at least once in their lives; yet who steps in to help someone being victimized and humiliated by such outright racism in public spaces?

This social experiment, conducted by ABC’s What Would You Do? shows the answer to that question in real-life footage. A point to note is that it is not only amazing how few white people step in on the side of justice in this video, but also how surprised the white people that do step in are by racism when it is a fact of life for people of color in America today.