Lawyer says he was profiled by security jogging in his own gated community

PARKLAND, Fla. ā€“ A lawyer who recently moved into his new home in a Parkland gated community says he was racially profiled while out for a late-night jog ā€” and he posted about the interaction on social media.

ā€œIt was a very unpleasant feeling,ā€ says Josiah Graham, who is Black.

The 31-year-old lawyer and his fiancƩ just moved into their home in the Parkland Golf and Country Club community in August.

About a week ago, Graham was out for a late jog.

ā€œAs Iā€™m running, I see this guy make a U-turn,ā€ Graham recalls.

In a video he shot on his phone as a security SUV approached, Graham says: ā€œThis dude is still following me. I canā€™t even go on my late-night runs ā€” what I do every single night.ā€

Graham posted the video on Instagram with the caption: ā€œIt be your own peopleā€ ā€” facepalm emojis included.

The guard who stopped him, he says, was also Black.

ā€œItā€™s a weird feeling to think that someone assumes you donā€™t belong,ā€ Graham says. ā€œPeople who have ā€” who suffer from preconceived notions, or certain biases and prejudices ā€” thatā€™s not unique to the white community. Sometimes, the black community subscribes to those same notions.ā€

The guard was driving an Allied Universal SUV.

Allied employs more than 200,000 people and does security for more than 50,000 sites.

Being the lawyer he is, Graham had a letter drafted to the company ā€œwanting to know what actions, if any, would be taken regarding the incident.ā€

He also asks about bias training at the company, to prevent ā€œany further untoward interactions.ā€

Local 10 News has reached out to Allied Universal and has not heard back.

ā€œI get the importance of having someone who does their job the right way,ā€ Graham says. ā€œHowever, that should not mean that other people are targeted, or approached or stopped unnecessarily based on how they look.ā€

Graham said this interaction doesnā€™t tarnish the way he feels about the community he moved into, but he said it does encourage him to get involved with the homeownerā€™s association.


About the Author:

Layron Livingston made the move from Ohio's Miami Valley to Miami, Florida, to join the Local 10 News team.