I haven't been on this hell site in years. So long I can't remember the emails associated with my old accounts. But I've got a question, and I know it's rude to ask my BI-POC friends to do the lifting on this. I'm not trying to be rude and I've googled my question in as many different wordings and phrases that I can think of. I can't find an answer.
I'm a security guard at an eye clinic, we have a large elderly patient population. I look like a cop. I know this. I have to do a certain number of patrols in a day. So roughly ever hour I walk the entire building.
How do I, a white security guard move past my elderly POC patients and let them know I'm not walking the floor they are on because they are there? Is there a simple way to show the POC who come in to the clinic respect?
How have other security guards approached this? What worked? What didn't? I try to tell every patient "good morning" or "good afternoon" but sometimes I see discomfort. Do I just move on? I know I can't undo the damage of years of systematic racism. I know certain people will always see me as a threat, I understand it's not me that it's the uniform. I don't take it personally.
Clinics are places that make people nervous, I don't want to add to that for the BI-POC patients.
I'm sorry if this is rude, I'm doing a lot of unlearning. I'm seeing this as an area where I don't know how to possibly change what I'm doing without some guidance.