Shocked by display of racism
My fiancé and I had been planning a seven-day trip to explore Glacier National Park, Kalispell, Whitefish and Flathead Lake. After years of dreaming about visiting Glacier National Park, the stars finally aligned, and we had the opportunity to go.
On Aug. 17, we drove about nine hours from Seattle to Kalispell and checked into a hotel near the lake. We were in awe of the beauty around us once we entered Montana.
The next day, we went to Kalispell to stock up for our week of adventures. While shopping, I noticed an older man in line at the pharmacy staring at me, giving me an odd feeling. He continued to track our movements and wouldn’t break eye contact. When I went to grab some allergy medicine near him, he turned toward me aggressively, put his hand on his throat, and made loud choking noises while pointing at us. This lasted for about 20 seconds.
My fiancé is black, and we’ve been in an interracial relationship for about five years. We’ve dealt with occasional stares and disapproving looks, but this was a blatant act of racism. The hate in that man’s eyes shocked me, and I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.
My first thought was that he was imitating a noose. Despite other shoppers being around, no one said a word. I was in complete shock and couldn’t speak either. The man eventually walked away, mumbling something about “your people.” My fiancé led me away, and although we wanted to leave, we needed to check out our groceries.
For the first time in my life, I felt fearful for our safety. We quickly scanned and paid for our items, constantly on the lookout. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore while we were in the self check out line trying to leave as quickly as possible.
We stayed in the hotel for the rest of the day, discussing whether to go home early or continue our vacation. We decided to take it one day at a time. Monday was OK, but we were still on edge. Like we needed to take certain precautions for things you shouldn’t have to think about in 2024 in the United States.
That peaceful, vacation feeling never came back. We then canceled all our planned expeditions and guided tours. Then packed up and left for home on Tuesday morning, missing out on the rest of the trip. Our safety was more important, and I didn’t want to spend any more money in a place that didn’t want us there.
While I believe that one man’s actions don’t represent Kalispell as a whole, I’m extremely disappointed that no one around us said anything or consoled us. It breaks my heart that we couldn’t enjoy the rest of what the area had to offer. Maybe one day I’ll feel comfortable returning to Montana, but I don’t think it will be to Kalispell.
I don’t know what my intentions are with this letter or hope to gain anything, but I wanted the leaders of this town and local news companies to know about our experience. This was not okay in any way. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like.
Caitlyn Manners, Seattle