At The Toast, Katrina Otuonye discusses the inner pain and conflict of being unjustly stopped by the police as a black woman:

My rule-abiding politeness, my inner drive to keep the peace, my outwardly even temper, none of these things will necessarily save me. I won’t get to hide behind my Master’s degree in a mugshot. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m mean or upset or a problem, so I usually keep my unpopular opinions inside, and then I brood quietly afterwards. But all the not-talking has made me absolutely miserable. Why didn’t I say something? I always wonder