# To Be a Woman On Skid Row (Part 3)-Caroline (fall 2025 update)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsvq9Dqqllk
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/Vsvq9Dqqllk
Generated: 2025-11-16T11:03:14.614+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Caroline, featured in the fall 2025 update of Mark Laita's "Soft White Underbelly" series, recounts a recent violent assault where a man struck her twice after she called him a racial slur, emphasizing that she will never stop using that slur against him because he is a white man from 518 San Julian Street who terrorizes others, and she expresses her fear of retaliation while showing the bruises she sustained, including one around her eye.

**Key Points:**
- Caroline was hit twice by a man after calling him a racial slur, which she states she will never stop using against him because he is white.
- The assault occurred after the man refused to let her into his space (likely a tent or room) following the Midnight Mission on 6th Street.
- Caroline claims the man and others like him terrorize people and behave like animals, destroying her belongings, including $1,000 worth of items and her new cardboard box/refrigerator box.
- She recounts that police came the day before the incident and told her to wrap up her activities until 6:00 PM, suggesting they were aware of the situation but didn't resolve it.
- Caroline mentions that she has known the interviewer since 2010 and notes that things, like the energy regime she follows, change when people are not taking care of themselves.
- She expresses relief that the man who assaulted her was not the person she had met previously who was involved in an alleged sexual abuse case from her childhood.
- The video ends with Caroline showing off a bar of Sulfur Soap she found, which she notes is very cool, and then she becomes distraught while discussing her fear of being constantly terrorized.

![Screenshot at 00:01: Caroline appears visibly distressed and frail, wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt against a mottled green and gray backdrop, embodying the vulnerability discussed in her story about surviving violence on Skid Row.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-00-01.png)

**Context:** This segment is part 3 of a series by photographer Mark Laita, titled "Soft White Underbelly," which features intimate, raw portraits and interviews with individuals living on Skid Row in Los Angeles. This specific installment focuses on a woman named Caroline, providing a fall 2025 update on her life, detailing a recent violent encounter and her ongoing struggles with the environment and the people around her, highlighting themes of violence, survival, and the search for dignity.

## Detailed Analysis

Caroline details a recent violent incident where a man struck her twice after she called him a racial slur, a term she insists she will continue to use against him because he is white and terrorizes others. This assault followed an incident where the man and his associates destroyed her belongings, including $1,000 worth of items in a box, and locked her out of her apartment building on 518 San Julian Street. She recalls that police had visited the day prior, telling her to stop activities by 6:00 PM, implying authorities were aware of the volatile situation but did not prevent the violence. Caroline contrasts the current aggressor with a man from 10 years prior involved in an alleged sexual abuse case from her youth, expressing relief that the current assailant was not that person. She then discusses finding solace in simple things, like the sulfur soap she holds up, noting that some people seem to thrive on chaos, while others (like her daughter) possess inherent positive qualities. Throughout the interview, Caroline displays visible physical trauma, including a black eye, and expresses ongoing fear and instability regarding her living situation and the threat posed by others who she claims are violent and predatory.

### Recounting Assault

- Caroline was struck twice by a man on 6th Street after using a racial slur against him
- She vows never to stop using the slur against him because he is white and terrorizes people
- The assault followed the destruction of her $1,000 worth of belongings, including her cardboard shelter.

### Police Interaction

- Police visited her location the day before the attack, instructing her to cease activities by 6:00 PM
- Caroline implies the authorities were aware of the tension but failed to intervene effectively.

### Personal Reflection & Survival

- She contrasts the current aggressor with a past figure involved in childhood abuse, finding small comforts like the sulfur soap she displays
- She struggles with the constant need to be on guard against predatory behavior from others in her environment.

### Family and Hope

- Caroline mentions her daughter and family, noting they do not possess the same chaotic energy as the people she encounters
- She expresses worry that her daughter might know what she endures.

![Screenshot at 00:01: Caroline looks distressed and frail, touching her face near her bruised eye.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-00-01.png)
![Screenshot at 00:10: Title card for 'Soft White Underbelly: To Be a Woman On Skid Row \(Part 3\) - Caroline \(fall 2025 update\)' by Mark Laita.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-00-10.png)
![Screenshot at 00:25: Caroline uses hand gestures to describe the confrontation where a man closed a door on her.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-00-25.png)
![Screenshot at 00:44: Caroline points emphatically while stating she will never stop calling a white man a racial slur.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-00-44.png)
![Screenshot at 01:15: Caroline uses expansive hand gestures to describe the volume of items destroyed by others.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-01-15.png)
![Screenshot at 02:25: Caroline explains that the police told her to wrap up her activities by 6:00 PM.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-02-25.png)
![Screenshot at 03:15: Caroline points emphatically while discussing the police response regarding her daughter.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-03-15.png)
![Screenshot at 06:08: Caroline raises both hands in a 'stop' or 'surrender' gesture while discussing the energy of others.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-06-08.png)
![Screenshot at 09:06: A black and white, low-key portrait of Caroline showing extreme emaciation and distress.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-09-06.png)
![Screenshot at 15:25: Caroline holds up a yellow box of 'Sulfur Soap,' stating it is really cool and she intends to use it.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/Vsvq9Dqqllk/00-15-25.png)