DIVERSIONS

We’ve learned to build ourselves in a way that makes white people feel comfortable.”

“I always do things to make myself less of a target,” Irby adds. “I found that running with my dog helps … I need to put on bright clothing, so that people can identify that I’m a runner. I’m a black person running, not a black person running from something.”

Alex Amankwah, a professional middle distance runner for the D.C.-based and Under Armour-sponsored District Track Club, hasn’t experienced any incidents of racism while out running in the D.C. area, but the video of Arbery brings back memories of his own encounters with racists while living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

During the first incident, which Amankwah says happened in 2016, he was running approximately a half mile away from the University of Alabama track with two white teammates when several middle-aged white men in a car drove by and shouted the N-word at him. The second time, which Amankwah remembers occurring in late 2018 or early 2019, a different set of older white men shouted “fuck you” plus the N-word, Amankwah says, while he was running alone on a sidewalk near campus.

A Ghana native who grew up in Los Angeles, Amankwah, 28, says it was his first time dealing with explicit racism.

“At first I was just angry,” he says. “I knew racism existed, and I knew certain people with that mindset. I was just angry. ‘Why would you say that? You don’t know me. Why are you comfortable enough to say something like that to me?’ I had a lot of questions.”

Even with those experiences, Amankwah emphasizes that he holds nothing against his alma mater. “Overall, I had way more people loving me for who I am rather than judging me for my skin tone,” he says. “I don’t want to destroy the warmth that I got from the city and the university with just those two instances, because that isn’t what Alabama or the city of Tuscaloosa is about.”

As a professional runner, Amankwah consistently trains outside, and while he hasn’t felt uncomfortable doing that in the D.C. area, he plans to be more cautious and cognizant of his surroundings after watching the Arbery video. Amankwah says he doesn’t want to find himself in a position where he’s at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“I’m mainly just cautious, and that comes across my mind after the video with Ahmaud,” he says. “It’s kind of a weird line. I don’t want to think everyone who’s white would do something like that, but it’s just being more cautious, being in certain neighborhoods, and keeping an eye out.”

Making these accommodations feels selfdefeating for many, in that it forces black runners — and black people in general — to go more than halfway to overcome harmful racist stereotypes and generalizations that black people are suspicious or don’t belong in certain neighborhoods.

“It’s extremely heavy. It’s something you get used to, but should never have to get used to,” says Tramble. “As I look at my 1-year-old, I think to myself, ‘I have to raise a black man,’ and I am terrified. Every single moment can be the wrong moment.”

Reflecting on Arbery’s death, black runners want white runners to step up and recognize their role in creating meaningful change. “The default needs to be shifted with race relations between whites and blacks. I’m of the mind that a white person’s silence when a black person is killed in a way like Ahmaud Arbery — your silence is, in effect, complicity,” says Irby.

Irby recognizes that advocating against racism may get a little uncomfortable, but believes that is what is most essential for creating real change. “As it concerns race, we’re all involved in this. But for the most part, white people have gotten away with not having any skin in the game .... Collectively, white people have been sitting on the sidelines because it’s convenient, it’s comfortable,” he says.

“I know sometimes white Americans, sometimes they have white friends who have those [racist] views,” Amankwah adds. “Don’t leave it alone. It’s not OK ... Don’t let it slide that they are racist. It’s not OK to be racist, and just because you’re not racist and you have racist friends, it’s not OK. Let them know why it’s not OK to be racist.”

That expectation extends into the running community, as well.

“Reach out to your fellow runners and encourage them to do something, to do some advocacy,” Irby says. “You need to let them know that their lack of advocacy will impact your relationship with them.”

Tramble feels lucky. His story involving a pickup truck did not end in violence.

He credits something so small that many might not even think of it: his outfit.

“I think the reason the person [in the truck] never said or did anything to me is because I had on expensive Nike clothes. I had the ‘right’ clothes,” he says. “When I started running, I just had regular shorts and a T-shirt. If I only had that on that day, I truly believe that my story could have ended differently.”

Tramble wants the running community to lead by example.

There is a push to make running clubs and the sport overall more inclusive by proactively welcoming and drawing in runners from different backgrounds. This would both strengthen the running community and increase understanding and empathy across backgrounds. It may also help change perceptions, so that people with bigoted views don’t think it’s dangerous or suspicious to see a black person running down the street.

To lead, or even to follow, means publicly showing solidarity with black runners and on issues that affect the black community. It’s more than just hashtags.

“White people who want to be on the side of morality, it has to be more than social media posts,” Irby says. “The onus is not just awareness, but also action. If you are a white person who actively desires to eliminate racism, then the onus needs to be on you.”

Name Callin’

By Brendan Emmett Quigley

Across

1. Dummkopf 5. Prince under a spell, maybe 9. Driveway material 14. Fencing necessity 15. Ride provider for the smartphoneless set 16. Had a technicolor yawn 17. Like Trump’s youngest son’s trust fund? 20. Sign up 21. Bar on a tire 22. Pop-pop’s wife 23. “Don’t just stand there!” 25. Baker’s meas. 27. Quarterback Rodgers doing a movie cameo? 35. WYSIWYG 36. Film nobody sees 37. “Hot” beverage 39. Talk, and talk, talk 40. Shaking instruments 42. Cousin of biz 43. Political cheap shot 45. ___’ acte 46. Month when Ulysses takes place 47. Very thorough woman who would like to speak to the manager? 50. Activity, in some Shakespeare classes 51. Underhanded 52. Was completely convinced 55. Only state that Pete Buttigieg won 59. Star Trek character 63. What “The Middle” singer Morris’ nickname will be when she’s nearing retirement? 66. Edwards, e.g.: Abbr. 67. Hard to find 68. “Gimme! Gimme!” 69. Takes (off ) 70. Mike who was Black Doug in The Hangover 71. “Laughing Gothic” artist Paul

Down

1. Famous bicycle kicker 2. At the top of 3. Common sports injury 4. Hybrid quadrupeds with stripy legs 5. Big bouquet seller

6. “The King of Clay” 7. Mash note sign off 8. Mash note recipient 9. Room off a wellness center 10. Make the jump to the big leagues 11. Pod used in gumbo 12. Brightly colored 13. Bart’s teacher 18. Morlocks eat them in The Time Machine 19. Still in testing, as code 24. Dream league 26. Pollen pouches 27. Means’ mates

28. “Me too” 29. Equate 30. Second family under the Clintons 31. Middle Easterner 32. The Blacklist channel 33. Happen 34. Number of spectators in the stands at the recently relaunched Bundesliga matches 38. “You got that right, pal” 40. Neigh-sayer of early TV 41. God of war 44. Slightly amiss 46. University of Kansas athlete 48. Reason for being bounced 49. Heidi in fashion spreads 52. Slab of beefcake 53. Very very 54. Page from someone’s book 56. Dumb brute 57. Sandwich style 58. Elderly empowering org. 60. Asian territory in Risk 61. Man’s name that sounds like a woman’s 62. Chip in for a hand 64. Dumbbells abbr. 65. Hoped-for answer to “did you enjoy that puzzle?”

LAST WEEK: UNIT TEST

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