Little big things
Storyboard Text
- Slide: 1
- “I was tired from a long day and simply wanted to get home. The night was quiet, the air heavy with the weight of unspoken tensions”.
- Jesus Colon is riding the subway late at night. He describes himself as a Puerto Rican man and provides context about the social climate and racial dynamics of the time.
- Slide: 2
- A white woman boards the subway with three young children and a baby in her arms. She struggles to manage the children and their belongings while trying to exit the train.
- “I saw her. A mother, white, alone, late at night, with her children. She looked like needed help”.
- Slide: 3
- Colon debates whether to offer his assistance, fearing that his act of kindness might be misunderstood because of his race. He worries that she might feel threatened or alarmed by his presence.
- “I wanted to help. I wanted to say, ‘Let me hold the baby, ma’am’. But then I thought, what if she screams? What if she thinks I’m trying to harm her? A Puerto Rican man, late at night.
- Slide: 4
- “I stayed where I was. I did nothing. The doors closed, and she was gone, not knowing how much I had thought about helping.
- After a moment of deep thought, Colon decides not to approach the woman. He stays seated and watches as she exits the train, still struggling but making it on her own.
- Slide: 5
- Colon reflects on his decision, grappling, with regret and the realization that small moments can have larger implications in the context of race and society. He wonders what the right decision really was.
- “A little thing, or so it seemed. But in that little moment, there was a big decision, and I wonder if I failed.
- Slide: 6
- “Little things are big. And sometimes, they are too big for even the best intentions to overcome.”
- Colon concludes his reflection by thinking about how race and prejudice complicate even the smallest acts of kindness, leaving readers with a powerful question about the cost of such moments.
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