“The Wrong Floor, The Wrong Door, Motive Ignored”

Botham Shem Jean was a very spirited man from the Caribbean. He liked to sing and had quite the authentic smile.  Maybe the accountant liked to play rhythmic sounds, as he would wind down for the evening.

Apartment life is tough, especially when you’re paying downtown rent. The left side of your brain says play your music loud AF, while the right side reminds you that you don’t want your uppity neighbors sending the concierge or security up to check you about the bass penetrating both the walls and the floors.

Remember that when you’re black, even subtle aggressions are committed with audacity as told by the privileged…

How dare you be black and playing music above me? How dare you be black, living in my building and playing music above me? How dare you be black, able to afford to live in my building and have the nerve to play music that disturbs me?

Amber Guyger’s version of events has changed twice. First the door wouldn’t open and she struggled, forcing her to sit her bags down to enter the apartment. Next up was the tale of the door being ajar. She needed to stick her key into a door that was already open. Apparently the grocery bags didn’t make it to the second version.

When I graduated from college more than a decade ago, I told myself that I would never live in another apartment complex with someone above me. In my three apartments since – I’ve paid the extra price of being on the top floor. People are heavy steppers, they have annoying children who run a lot and sometimes they are not thoughtful enough to control the volume of their music. It’s the inconvenience of living in an apartment – a shared space that we will never own.

Did Guyger grow tired of listening to the tenant above? New information has revealed that she complained about Jean making noise the same day that he was killed.

You have the right to complain about your neighbors. You can dislike them and give them dirty looks in the elevator. What you cannot do is kill them.