A question of race (page 2)

DanTheMan

Interesting post.

I have a jobby-job too, customer service. Hey, somebody has to answer the phone when Penn State bookstore calls and asks us why we sent them 50 copies of a 7th grade math text instead of the advanced financial accounting book they ordered.

You know, prejudice comes in all shapes and SIZES.

I am white, but I am small for a man, 5'7" and maybe 135 lbs., very slight build. Also, even though I am almost 32 years old, I look quite young, almost boyish.

Sometimes when I get shitty treatment, I feel like, if I was 6'3" 230 lbs. you wouldn't have treated me that way you asshole.

But, I find that the more conscious I am of my small stature, the more sensitive I am to this sort of thing. I am much happier when I forget about my lack of stature, or my mediocre looks. I used to spend much time looking into the mirror, analyzing, criticizing, very narcissistic behavior. Now I avoid looking at reflections of myself except when I'm shaving or something. And I am much more at peace.

Along the same lines, I think the more conscious a black person is of their blackness, the more they are going to see the deck as being stacked against them and every real or imagined slight will have racist underpinnings to them.

Please don't take that to mean that I think racism is in the mind of the beholder. Oh yeah there's some white assholes out there who treat black persons like shit because they're black, no doubt about that.

Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster. And if you gaze long into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes into you. - Nietzsche

SixofNine

I like the way you capitalize the word "White"; it makes me feel important and proud.

I once read something very interesting. If you ask a man, a white man, in front of a mirror: "What do you see." He will more than likey say, "a man." If you ask a black man in front of a mirror the same question: "What do you see." He will more than likey say, "a black man."

But if you have the men remove their pants before looking in the mirror, both races will most likely say "you are one fine mandingo warrior, mr. self man!"

sableindian

Teejay,

I MAY have just a tad bit different outlook. I grew up Jewish and Native American. When I am with my Jewish friends, we are one and the other people are the other, the same as with the Native American communities. So I hear them talking about Blacks, as if I were not Black. And so when I see or hear a Black talking badly to another Black, I see racism.

For instance, I had a supervisor, Black female. And I could tell she treated the Asian workers like precious jewels. In fact there was one worker I was surprised when I found out I was her senior. I thought the way this supervisor treated her that she had been there for years, instead of MONTHS.

And yet, she treated other Blacks with contempt.

Then there is a self hatred that I see a lot in Jehovah's Witnesses. I remember an elder in Los Angeles named Herd (last name) and he called the Blacks on the street "Ubangis". He was speaking about the afro at the time. And he said, "walking around looking like a bunch of Ubangis". Now ANY intelligent person would have called him on it, because Ubangis do not wear Afros. Both men and women shaved their hair. But the crowd, mostly Black, just laughed....I walked out.

That was in the 60s.

So Blacks can be just as racially hateful as Whites who still hold those feelings.

That is why I like the Bahai Faith. It talks about those issues. They promote racial unity and it is one of their tenents. They openly discuss it in groups and are in the forefront in promoting it.

And yes, as others have mentioned. Blacks see things differently. We still have people living in America, alive, who had their picture proudly taken at a lynching, a burning, a beating. And never laid one foot in a courtroom for their actions.

So, when a Black man looks in the mirror, his answer may be different from a White man. So, what? Just as long as he is alive to make things better for himself and his, so what? We pray for the unity of all man. So that when we see the difference in each other...we rejoice in the difference.

siegswife

Oh yeah there's some white assholes out there who treat black persons like shit because they're black, no doubt about that.

Something struck me about this comment.

This isn't a slam on you for saying it and I think that most people would agree with it. What hit me is that the real truth about white assholes is that they don't treat "black persons like shit because they're black. They do it because they're assholes.

Teejay, although I know for a fact that racism is, unfortunately, alive and well, I doubt if those people dis you because you're black. I'm thinking that they're miserable because their place of employment sucks. If it was because of race I think you would be sure about it and would have picked up on it sooner.

Edited by - siegswife on 21 September 2002 0:36:6

SixofNine

What a coincidence! You make this post, and I just see the new UPS commercial: UPS drivers of all races, and customers of all races, so happy to see each other you'd think they were rich, dying relatives. They even use the Cheers theme for music; "you wanna go were everybody knows your name". The last scene is a black delivery driver squating down to hug two little white girls greeting him at the door as their mom smiles approvingly.

Like their copy says, I think you need to "see what brown can do for you". Plus, I think their beni's are even better than Fedex, if that is possible.

Swan

When I was in third grade I encountered racism for the very first time. At recess a friend, Raymond, (I can easily recall his name even today because this made such an impression) and I were in a small section of the playground where spruce trees were grew. We were playing house, and were scraping the dirt and twigs up into small mounds running from tree to tree to represent the walls of the house.

A second grade teacher was playground monitor that day. She was white. She approached us as we were playing and said to Raymond that one of the children said he had been throwing dirt, which he denied. I backed up his story, but she was having none of that from me and with an absolutely fierce look I will never forget, said "I wasn't talking to you." Well that shut me up, I didn't know what else to do as a third grader. She had him show him her hands. She announced loudly "They're dirty!" The way she said the word dirty, she made it sound vile and disgusting. I'll never forget it.

Raymond's punishment was to get down on his knees and rub his nose in the dirt right there in front of her and all of the other kids. After recess I tried to tell our teacher what had happened and she said "I don't want to hear about it." It was only then that I realized what was going on.

I began to suspect that what had happened had only happened because one white boy told a lie about another boy who happened to be a Native American. The teacher believed the white boy and was so harsh on Raymond because he was a Native American. And my teacher knew what happened was wrong. I knew what happened was wrong. But in the early 60's, what recourse was there for a third grader.

The problem was, I only suspected. I didn't know for sure. I still don't know absolutely. It wasn't overt. There were no racial slurs or anything other than my own gut feelings about what the real motives here were. That's the problem with prejudice. Sometimes it is overt, but most of the time it isn't, so how can you be sure. You can't. You just always have your doubts, suspicions, and hunches.

That event taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me never to take a person's difference for granted. I never saw the differences between Raymond and me before, but now I did. At the same time, it taught me empathy for those who are different from me. I know it isn't the same for them as it was for me growing up. I never take it for granted that they grew up in a world without prejudice, because I know they have. I understand where teejay is coming from on this. You always wonder.

Tammy

sableindian

Dantheman,

Ah, Nietzsche.

Drug addict, syphlitic, mental breakdown and aspired by Nazis.

Wow, he would of been a great heavy metal star. And people everywhere would be screaming his lyrics.

Cool

Q

PS

I am the shortest one in my family. I have a neice who is 6'4. *sigh*

As for your observation on height. It may be a superiority complex in others rather than prejudice. Do you really think someone wants to cause you, "detriment and injury" because of your height? Or do you think THEY think they are better than you?

Just a thought

sableindian

6o9,

Giggle

sableindian

siegswife,

Your comment is noted. But I am thinking about the 20/20 expose of racism. The undercover operation at a car dealership, jewelry store and apartment building.

Blacks AND Whites treated Blacks differently than Whites. Do you remember this? If not, it is a must see for people who think that Blacks are not 'dissed' for their skin color. I DO understand that each case is unique. But usually, IF, the person has some sort of long term relationship with the other person, we can say that it probably is not prejudice.

My best friend is of Irish decent. She feels no qualms about raking through the mud if she has a difference of opinion on race with me. And if we are in public, someone would think she hated me. But, I know better. She is strongly opinionated and has strong feelings. ...*sigh* I miss her

Shalom,

Q

sableindian

Thank you Tammy,

for your insight. I just finished reading

Invisible Woman: Growing Up Black in Germany

It's about a girl growing up Black in Germany. Her experiences were similiar to Raymond's. I remember my greatgrandfather telling me about his boyhood as a Native American. That he was held down and his hair cut so many times that he just started shaving his hair. And till he died, he wore his hair style bald. One less form of torture.

Q

A question of race

Share this