I try to never leave home without wearing a suit, regardless of whether my destination or job requires it. When people ask why, I’m often inclined to say, “If Trayvon Martin had been wearing a suit, he would still be alive.”

If you were me, would you rather be wearing a suit or a hoodie when an officer approaches your car door? Three times I have had an officer get to my window, take one look at me in my suit, and say, “Never mind.” Police must make a split-second decision as to how they’re going to react when they approach a car. Depending upon the officer’s decision, I might get a verbal warning, or a ticket, while others face the risk of gunshots. I feel safest when I’m dressed like an attorney.

Wearing a suit makes my life easier. If I need to use the restroom, I can walk into a restaurant without being told the restroom is just for customers. When in a department store, no one will assume I’m there to shoplift. In a restaurant, I’ll get better service because the server won’t think ‘I’m one of the Blacks who don’t tip.’ If I complain, I’m not suspected of trying to get free food.  If I’m at an event where most people are dressed casually but I’m in a suit, people often think I’m part of management. And that’s better than thinking I don’t belong.  Once, I was in a bad neighborhood and witnessed a knife fight. The police were called and when the crowd heard the sirens, they fled. I didn’t move as I knew the police weren’t going to arrest me.

If my car breaks down and my cell phone is dead, I’d rather be wearing a suit when I ring the doorbell to ask for help, The fact is, you never know when you are going to need customer service and the person providing the service has some type of racial bias that will determine the level of service or the result.

“You shouldn’t have to look and act a certain way to make white people feel comfortable,” U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia, told me. She’s the mother of Jordan Davis, who was shot and killed when a white man didn’t like the type and loudness of the music he and his friends were listening to. You shouldn’t have to but it helps.

I’ve worn a suit in several marches, and people have asked me how I could wear a suit on such a hot and humid day. I remind them that Rev. Martin Luther King did not march in shorts and a T-shirt. Malcolm X and many other civil rights leaders wore at least a suit jacket and tie.

Wearing a suit has not only helped me, but it has also helped people I’ve visited in hospitals, nursing homes, detox, and prisons. I’ve been told by the people I’ve visited that they received better treatment after I left. In one case, unprompted, the authorities offered to release the person to my custody if I agreed to take responsibility for the person.

When everyone has a camera in their pocket, I assume I will be photographed, or videotaped — not because I’m popular but because people are always taking photos and posting them. Facebook using facial recognition can provide a list of photos you might be in. I used the service to find several photos of myself that I was unaware of. In one photo, the suit made it look like I was in a business meeting. I was in a bar.

It’s not just in white environments that wearing a suit offers benefits. In Black neighborhoods, I like hearing, “Looking good, OG!” and similar approving comments. I don’t mind symbolizing success. I’ve been told people are thinking “At least one Black man made it.” When wearing a suit in the Black community, I’ve had people ask if I was a lawyer, a minister, a politician, or running for office. I was once asked if I was the governor.

I visited a group of young Black women in an after-school program, and after I left, I was told they couldn’t believe a man in a suit came to speak with them. I’ve had similar experiences after I’ve spent time with the homeless.

For all these reasons, I try to always wear a suit.

Ed Gaskin is Executive Director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets and founder of Sunday Celebrations.