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One black man from Georgia, United States was harassed and racially profiled by a white woman after seeing him out with two white kids at a Walmart outlet.
The man was identified as Corey Lewis, a youth development specialist and entrepreneur who owns a business called Inspired By Lewis, an organization which aims to enrich socially challenged youth.
Lewis, fondly called “Mr. Lewis,” was babysitting two kids recently and took them to Walmart where they ate at a Subway. A white woman apparently saw Lewis and the kids, and started following them around in suspicion, all because Lewis was black and the kids were white.
Lewis took to Facebook Live on Oct. 7 where he shared to his viewers that the woman kept following their car because he got two white kids in his backseat.
In the video, Lewis can be seen recording himself inside his car with the kids, while panning the camera towards the woman’s car, which was parked right across the street.
“I’m babysitting here. I’ve got two kids in the backseat with me,” Lewis said. “We just came from the Subway at Walmart. This lady is following me because I got two kids in the backseat that does not [sic] look like me. This lady across the street, she asked to see the little girl so she can ask her if she knows who I am.”
In another video, Lewis showed himself parked outside the curb of his house. This time, he told his viewers that the woman followed them home and called the police on him. In just a few seconds, a police car can be seen winding down the street.
“What’s up, man?” the police officer asked as he walked up to Lewis.
“I’m being followed and harassed, that’s what’s up,” Lewis replied.
Lewis explained to the police officer that he and the kids were at Walmart to eat at Subway when the white woman approached him asking if the kids were okay.
“Why wouldn’t they be okay? No one’s yelling, no one’s screaming, no one’s trying to run away,” Lewis narrated. “She left, came back and asked to see the little girl so she can ask her to see if she knows who I am. And then, I went over to get some gas at Murphy’s and she came back there… That’s crazy. I mean, why?”
In the video, the police officer can be seen asking the kids to step out from Lewis’ car so he could ask them if they were okay.
The kids told the police officer that Lewis was babysitting them and that they were alright. The police officer, on the other hand, appeared surprised when he found out that Lewis has a business and his own center for the youth.
“Inspired By Lewis. I work with kids, everyday, even on my off days,” Lewis explained.
Meanwhile, when the police officer asked Lewis if he were recording a video, Lewis said yes, so that he can show the world what really transpired.
“I’m letting the world know what was really going on. It’s 2018, I can step out of the community
without being profiled,” he said.
Despite the unfortunate turn of events for Lewis and the kids, however, what is right and true were still on their side, as Lewis shared on Oct. 7 a message he got from the kids’ parents telling him the kids had fun during their time with him.
“Can’t make this up!” Lewis wrote on Facebook.
Lewis’ videos have since made the rounds on social media, with him being approached by many news outfits for interview.
Thus far, he has been invited by The Today Show and Good Morning America, as well as Steve Harvey TV to share his story. JB
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