I did nothing wrong

Storyteller: Markus (he/him/his), 26, Minnesota

I went to a inner city school. And there's a lot of kids with behavioral problems. But I was never one of those kids. But I was black and most kids that went to my school was black. So one day I was in class just like any other day. But this time, the assistant principal came into my classroom with an extremely upset look on her face. Then unbeknownst to me she pointed me out and said. 'I seen you skipping class in the hallway' I was so surprised because I've never skipped class. And because she mistaken me for someone else. I got suspended from school which made me miss my finals which turned what would of been easily a B+ to a D- all because I happen to go to a school that had kids with behavioral problems. And I happen to look like one of them.

[The assistant principal] pointed me out and said, ‘I seen you skipping class in the hallway’... she [had] mistaken me for someone else…And I happen to look like one of them.