Sorry to build the suspense, but I have to contextualize this, because again, I was so oblivious to it at first, that when it happened, I was so shocked, disgusted, and confused. And a bit saddened as well. Toledo, Spain. I was clothed, covered, and respectable.
Whether that be in a long, flowing skirt or in jeans and a peacoat, there are just some regions of the world who see black skin on a woman, and assume that the only way I was able to afford to get there and stay there , was by way of selling my body to a local. Costa Brava, Spain. It was a mix between a look of congratulations to my friend and a look of dirtiness to me.
My friend and I look at each other, mutually sensing the discomfort of the situation, but still wondering why we were attracting such strange expressions. And this was one of my closest friends while in Barcelona, strictly platonic , and now incredibly awkward. I start becoming self-conscious and more observant of everyone around us, wondering why we were getting so much attention.
And then I lock eyes with what looked like a West-African specifically, Nigerian woman. She stares me up and down, then looks at my German friend, eyeballs his crotch area, then looks at me again and mutters something to her friend nearby. And then we notice a trend.
The worst part is, they did look like me. And I looked like them. They wear coats, scarves, sweaters, and jeans.
