03-25-2012, 12:32 PM
This guy sums it up pretty well:
Reading about Trayvon reminded me of the list of the “don’ts” I received after my sheltered existence in Hazlet, N.J., was replaced with the reality of Newark when my mother remarried in the 1980s.
“Don’t run in public.” Lest someone think you’re suspicious.
“Don’t run while carrying anything in your hands.” Lest someone think you stole something.
“Don’t talk back to the police.” Lest you give them a reason to take you to jail or worse
There was also being mindful that you are being watched in stores. Watched turned to followed as I got older. To this day, if a sales person is overly attentive to what I might be looking for I leave the store. Never to return. And then there was keeping a distance of deniability from white women when walking on the street. Lest you be accused of any number of offenses, from trying to snatch her purse to sexual assault.
In the early 1990s, I saw a T-shirt for sale on Canal Street in New York that neatly and bluntly summed up my frustration with this situation: “No white lady I don't want your purse.”
In order for things to change, to really change, we ALL have to be able to talk about this. Because it exists. It isn't racism to talk about it, it is the beginning of the end of racism. White people are afraid to talk about anything that might be offensive to people of another race so there is no real dialog happening.
What would it be like if we could say:
Whitey: You people are criminals.
POC: No, we aren't. Some of our boys can't get good jobs because the school systems aren't geared for them so they commit more crimes.
Whitey: You don't behave in school so you get in trouble and cause it yourself.
POC: We have behave differently due to cultural differences. But it isn't behaving badly, just differently.
Whitey: We want black youths to have good jobs and not be seen as criminals, too. What should we do?
Somebody give me the answer to that. Anybody.
I'm sad for Trayvon and his family, too, and for the other 30 or so black youths who were also killed during the same time period that nobody noticed. If we stop judging based on appearances will the crime stop? Because I can do that.
Reading about Trayvon reminded me of the list of the “don’ts” I received after my sheltered existence in Hazlet, N.J., was replaced with the reality of Newark when my mother remarried in the 1980s.
“Don’t run in public.” Lest someone think you’re suspicious.
“Don’t run while carrying anything in your hands.” Lest someone think you stole something.
“Don’t talk back to the police.” Lest you give them a reason to take you to jail or worse
There was also being mindful that you are being watched in stores. Watched turned to followed as I got older. To this day, if a sales person is overly attentive to what I might be looking for I leave the store. Never to return. And then there was keeping a distance of deniability from white women when walking on the street. Lest you be accused of any number of offenses, from trying to snatch her purse to sexual assault.
In the early 1990s, I saw a T-shirt for sale on Canal Street in New York that neatly and bluntly summed up my frustration with this situation: “No white lady I don't want your purse.”
In order for things to change, to really change, we ALL have to be able to talk about this. Because it exists. It isn't racism to talk about it, it is the beginning of the end of racism. White people are afraid to talk about anything that might be offensive to people of another race so there is no real dialog happening.
What would it be like if we could say:
Whitey: You people are criminals.
POC: No, we aren't. Some of our boys can't get good jobs because the school systems aren't geared for them so they commit more crimes.
Whitey: You don't behave in school so you get in trouble and cause it yourself.
POC: We have behave differently due to cultural differences. But it isn't behaving badly, just differently.
Whitey: We want black youths to have good jobs and not be seen as criminals, too. What should we do?
Somebody give me the answer to that. Anybody.
I'm sad for Trayvon and his family, too, and for the other 30 or so black youths who were also killed during the same time period that nobody noticed. If we stop judging based on appearances will the crime stop? Because I can do that.