Raskin introduces Ford as a well-off, reserved woman. She mentions Ford’s race right off the bat in order to begin examining how Ford, a prominent judge, has had to struggle against racism and prejudice all her life. Her behavior is mannered and controlled, and when she lets slip some of her real feelings to the doorman, she is careful to ask him to keep quiet on her behalf. Ford knows that as a judge she’s expected to behave a certain way—and that as a black woman, her behavior will always be under higher scrutiny than her peers who benefit from white privilege.