In another case of Black people having their existence policed by white people, a Black man in Cobb County, Georgia, was harassed as he was babysitting two white children. Not only did the white woman harassing him then follow him and the children to his home, but she also called the cops on him to inspect his situation.
On Sunday, Lewis recorded three Facebook Live videos of the woman following him and the children, and of a police officer questioning the two kids. Lewis had told CBS 46 that the white woman, who has yet to be identified, had walked up to his car while he was babysitting the children of parents David Parker and Dana Mango. The car was parked in a Walmart parking lot after Lewis took the kids to Subway to eat, and the woman asked Lewis “if the children were okay.”
The woman then left, came back to the car, and asked if she could speak with the kids herself. Like any reasonable adult entrusted with watching other another person’s kids, Lewis didn’t let the stranger speak to the children and drove away to get gas. Lewis says that the woman then followed the car in her own vehicle and waited, then proceeded to follow him to his home. After Lewis recorded the woman following him, he recorded a Cobb County police officer pulling up to the house. She had called 911 on him.
https://www.facebook.com/corey.f.lewis/videos/10212549738634704/?__xts__[0]=68.ARB_7J9OHgBnAkI2GrYWPXsRggGHBCrr1FgOJKIC73xeETqrLGEYAMHwMtzcHO4PJzTrlgG822opOfhOT8iiKDkCCs1lirw9Gdnc-ySuT53S5tdajEw3LUNJV0BJATgzap5VrNJ5yF-aqtbP08UErwRF0swc25LBDDVbnEBTbZtHBpC4ZMdAymQ&__tn__=-R
Parker and Mango told the news station they were in disbelief that Lewis was stopped and questioned because he is Black, and their children, 10 and 6 years old, are white. They had arranged for Lewis to watch their kids because their son is in his youth mentorship program.
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The three Facebook Live videos together have amassed more than 500,000 views since Sunday. Many viewers have posted positive comments about Lewis, thanking him for the work that he does and apologizing for the behavior and harassment he’s encountered.
At least this white woman’s unnecessary attention didn’t completely ruin the day. According to text messages Lewis uploaded to Facebook, the kids told their parents “they had the most fun ever!”
“Yes! That was like my only job today to make sure they’d say that!” Lewis texted back.