Specifically because I live in a hot climate, I’m always fighting the feeling of being suspicious of anybody I pass in the streets with a hoodie pulled up. I feel guilty because of racial profiling associated with hoodies, but gotta protect myself and my family, especially because in many cases the perpetrators of assault and murder seen in media are somebody with a hood and/or mask on.
I don’t think I said this.
Overall my point is just - we all have our biases. If you feel guilty about being suspicious about folks in a black hoodie, and if bias against hoodies is likely to be of racist origin, your guilt is some portion of you being aware of that. If you weren’t, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
It’s OK to admit that, even if only to yourself. I don’t think you should feel guilty about it. But I do think you should acknowledge what’s contributing to that bias. We all have that in some way or another, and I don’t think you can move past it while denying it’s there.