I'm Adely Mone and this is The Slowdown.

I have always marveled at the fact that some people don't have to worry when they walk

around their neighborhood.

Can wave at everyone and feel fairly safe.

There are many of us that don't feel that way.

I naively waved at a red car once thinking it was a neighbor's car and then the car

circled the block five times, each time pulling up slowly next to me until I pretended to

go into a neighbor's house.

It's hard to know who to feel safe around and who feels safe around you.

I envy the freedom of folks who have never felt that sort of fear or threat or have never

felt like they don't belong somewhere.

I want to believe the best in humanity.

I want to feel like every neighborhood is safe for every human.

I want to believe the best in humanity.

I want to feel like every neighborhood is safe for every human.

But as hopeful as I can be on some days, for the most part, I've lived too long to feel

like that's possible.

Still, sometimes I long for it, don't you?

I long for that ease and comfort for everyone.

I want what's beyond our skin to show through.

What if we could witness each other's inner lights, each other's desires, each other's

goodness, each other's humaneness, and in doing so, wave wildly and with enthusiasm and

...