I’m a Black Bouncer. This Is What Nightlife Security Is Really Like.

I’m a Black Bouncer. This Is What Nightlife Security Is Really Like.

Tracy Miller is a Portland, Oregon–based writer who has worked as a bouncer at dive bars, live music venues and upscale lounges for nearly a decade. Here, Miller explains what it’s really like to work nightlife security—navigating the unwritten rules, practicing de-escalation, managing crises—and how the job has changed alongside national conversations about race and policing.  —Mary Anne Porto, editor, Punch