I actually apologize to you Lisa, because I was trying to explain my initial shock, I don't assume that all whites are like Barack Obama's grandmother or like the woman in the store. Which is why I was trying to explain my initial shock.
But what I'm surprised about this is how come no one questioning these encounters? Why do you think Obama has a grandmother that would feel the way she does despite having a black grandson? Why didn't that woman in Barnes & Noble didn't know there were black authors who wrote on subjects like social science? How often do you believe that people of color have these sort of experience? To me this is an indication of not making any progress.
How often do you think these same things happen to white folks? Within my own little microcosm, I have heard the following: I may have shared this with you before, I don't remember, but bear with me.
I have been asked why ALL white men have to blow their noses after they eat.
When we all went in together on food, and I was collecting the money, I was asked if I was charging a black tax. After a good laugh, I was then told they weren't paying the black tax until they received their 40 acres and a mule.
I had a girl wear a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt to work to see what my reaction would be. My reaction was to call her a pseudo fan and wear a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt the very next chance I had.
Of greater concern, is the co-worker who attended one of these rallys and came back "empowered". She actually was not as empowered as she became incredibly paranoid. She told me that she was going to start doing as the white folks did to get ahead. Apparantly, this included lying about people, blaming others for her mistakes, and being extremely hostile.
This all occurred at my place of employment in which I was working when I found out about my heritage. (My father was absentee but I made contact with him for a short time when I was 33) Up until then, I thought I was white except for MAYBE some distant Indian blood on my mothers side.
These folks were around when this happened, have known me before and after, know how sensitive I am about it, and still, treat me like I am the white enemy at times. If I looked white, then, I must BE white, right?
When I received a promotion, I was told that the other person didn't because she was black. I thought this implied that she thought my promotion was because I was white which insulted all of the work that I had done and the effort.
I have heard white [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] said about one of our bosses and I am not supposed to be offended if I am REALLY not white.
I have had another lady come up to me and hold her arm beside of me in the summer and tell me that I was "getting there".
Do not EVEN pretend to me that racism is one-sided, okay? I see it on both sides, and these days, I see more of it from the black community.
My hairdresser told me that ALL BLACK people hate ALL ASIANS and ALL MEXICANS. She did not say why.
On 9-12-2001, we were all sitting in the breakroom, and it was black women who first began making really, really bad comments about our Muslim co-workers. I told them that it would be very easy to go down that path, but we may never be the same if we did.
I am known to be a Christian and someone who will speak up when something is not right. I do a good job here and my work is respected but many times, as a person, I am not.
Considering my Cherokee/White/Mutt heritage, it can only be because of my skin color not being dark enough.
Oh, and one more thing, if the Farakhans and the Wrights ever suceed in their agenda, and white America is subjugated as black America once was, who do you think their next target will be? It will be peoples of other colors and then it will be those within the black community who express doubt that the methods or the ideas are wrong. Isn't this already happening?
One of my black friends went to an all white girl school for a year or so. She told me that she suffered more from her black friends than from the white girls at her school. She was made to feel more of a freak by her black sisters than from anyone else. If she picked up a word or a way of dressing, or an expression, whatever, her black friends told her she was trying to be white.
There is something deeply wrong in the black community, and guess what, it is not someone elses fault.
From my perspective, there is deep hatred that goes both outward and inward and only God can heal that. If the black community persists in seeing themselves as victims and they persist in this angry attitude towards everyone including their own, they are going to implode. I do not want to be in the middle of that.
In a way, I am glad this has happened because I think this is the most honest discussion (going on all over, not just at CF or this thread) that has happened in the history of our race issues.
We desperately need another MLKjr that will speak to the black community and raise their dignity and teach them to not blame others.
In the 1960's and beyond, you really did not have the same opportunities, but you do now. In fact, in many ways, minorities have MORE opportunities.
You do not have to prove that you are a minority to get a minority scholarship. I do. Proving myself Cherokee is difficult when you are not in touch with that side of the family, and the most you have are pictures of tombstones and family trees that can be followed in family Bibles.
My hope is that the love of Jesus Christ will pour through this country because I honestly believe it is the ONLY thing that is going to prevent this country from completely falling apart.
Lisa
Lisa
