A thought that I kept having when the idea of perceived threat came up . . . the perception of threat has so so so much to do with the social context of the time and the stereotypes that people hold.
I believe that given the context of the South during the civil rights movement, the diner patrons likely perceived sit-in participants as potentially threatening. Their perception did not make it a reality, their fear was a symptom of misconceptions and a belief that black people couldn't really be non-violent.
Just a thought . . .
|