Racism Part I
I have to say one of the most troubling things about racism is the belief that it only exists in the South in trailer parks. It's so frustrating the way it is conveniently placed on the shoulders of the very poor or very stupid. For some reason it is accepted that educated, middle class people aren't racist. What a crock of SHIT! Let me tell you something that is a fact. There are as many racist people in the tristate area as you will find anywhere south of the mason dixon line. I went to a school district was 98% white and I learned alot during my 13 years there. It never ceased to amaze me the things my white classmates said when they thought I wasn't listening. (Sometimes worse were the things they said TO me because they felt I wasn't like "other Black people")
Up North we're taught to be so politically correct, but just because racism is frowned upon in public doesn't mean it isn't still thriving behind closed doors.
Every year of my education -from kindergarten to 12th grade- something was said or done that served to prove that prejudice is something that will always be. No matter how many times they play Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream speach." No matter how many Black History Month tributes, no matter how successful Oprah Winfrey gets, no matter how many times Halle Berry gets naked in a movie, or how many Oscars Denzel Washington wins, there will always be people that think Black people are useless dirty niggers. And you know what? I could probably live with that if they did only live in the south. Unfortunately, they live, work and play EVERYWHERE I do.
Yet time and time again when I discuss racism with my white friends, they insist that it's only rednecks that still feel that way. Then why is it just about every act of prejudice or discrimination I've experienced has been at the hands of middle class educated whites from nice families? I submit to you that some of the most racist people are wealthy, educated, and successful. This is not an assumption or a guess. This is truth that I've experienced my entire life. If only dirty "rednecks" discriminated then I would say affirmative action was no longer necessary. But as long as their is a chance the man interviewing me for a job or reviewing my application for admission to college uses the "N" word behind closed doors I think the government needs to step in on my behalf. This is not intended to be a rant about affirmative action, I just felt the need to throw that in. I want to say so much more, but I'll finish this later.
The topic is very emotional, so I want to take it slow so I don't get overwhelmed. Before I end this I want to sat that I'm am not accusing all white people of being racist. Most of the people I encounter regard me as a person equal to themselves and give me an fair chance, not letting prejudices or stereotypes affect the way they treat me.
Life is hard for everyone, I know that and I'm not suggesting that white people get a free ride. All I want is for them to understand is that there are things that I have had to deal with as a Black woman that they don't know and don't understand. Don't assume that just because you don't see crosses burning on people's lawns that racism has faded from exisistence.
In case you don't believe me, I went to a website, I don't want to advertise for them, but it is a white power sight. There are several white power websites on the internet by the way. One that I went to had a page with nothing but "jokes" Dozens, but I only pasted a few here. There were so many, SO MANY fucking jokes! And pictures, songs, T-shirts, patches, stickers, discussion boards. Even a "Nigger Owner's Manual" you could download. These sites are for men, women, teens, families. Anyone who wants to hate.
*When does a Black man turn into a nigger?
As soon as he leaves the room.
*What do you call a nigger with a Harvard education? Nigger.
*What do you call a nigger in a courtroom in a 3 piece suit? The defendant.
*Did you hear about the new Black Barbie? It comes with 12 kids, AIDS and a welfare check.
I don't put them there to make you laugh, but if you laugh then you just proved my point. I still live in the same community and these are the kinds of jokes the kids at my child's school are hearing. My son is 7 years old and last year he was told by some classmates that he couldn't play on the swings with them because it was for white kids only. You can dismiss that if you want and say, oh, they're just kids. Those kids heard it from someone, who heard it from someone else, who told it to someone...etc. And all these people live work and play in the same space as my kid and me and 1000's of other Black people.
posted by Gift From Virgo at 11:27 AM
1 Comments:
First of all, thank you for the comment you left a couple entries ago. I really appreciate your input, I truly do. I'd really do love God and I appreciate everything you said about the fundmentals of Christianity. But I could go on and on so I'll cut it short here and just say "thanks" again.
Also, I just want to talk about your racism essay a little bit. First of all, I'm bi-racial, so I've kind of heard it from both sides--"oreo, I act too white, etc." I think that while racism is everywhere, its epicenter is in the South.
In October, I went to Washington, D.C. for one of those youth leadership conventions. I got a taste of what people from other parts of the country are really like for the first time. I came to good friends with a few people from the South, whom I still talk to often. I have to say, I changed them for the better.
When most people see me, they think I'm Italian or Portoguese, which is what these people from the South thought I was. When they found out I was half black, they were in awe, seriously. It boggles my mind how much more in touch with life (stereotypically..) we northern people are! All they said afterwards was "Now whenever I hear the n-word at home I'm gonna tell them I have a black now and it's not right!"
Granted, I was glad that I could change at least a few people's perspective by being the "best of both worlds" but still, I've never seen anything like that where I live. It was just immaturity, maybe a better word is ignorance; and I know we have plenty of ignorant people up here, but stereotypically from my limited experience, I'd have to say other parts of our nation are just screwed up.
However we obviously have the problem of racism everywhere as you said. I know it's cliche but I think people just naturally have to take out their lack of self esteem on other people, whether it be in the form of racism, sexism, ageism, appearance...any aspect of humanity. I know we've come so far in America's history, we've made leaps in my 16 years of life, so I can't imagine what progression we may attain in the future. Hopefully people can mature, I have faith that things will change.
I sometimes look at the past and think "How did we ever do that? How did women not have the right to vote?? How could there ever have been slavery in AMERICA?!" And this was all just over a century ago. America's young, and I think in another 100 years people will say to themselves "How did people ever hate someone because of how they born?"
Well that was sort of long, but there's my opinion.
Post a Comment
<< Home