Quick to Cry Racism
I have two stories that aren't really PC, but they're kind of funny in their own way... They're about two instances when I was "accused" of racism... but it just wasn't the case.
One night, I was walking to my car. I had been at a show - so it was probably 11 pm. As I walked down the sidewalk, I could hear someone behind me - but I kept moving. As I got to the car, I stepped off the sidewalk and approached the drivers' side door. This, for some reason, incensed the African American man walking behind me.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," he steamed. He thought I was crossing the street to avoid him. He thought I thought he was a threat. He thought that by stepping off the sidewalk, I was running away.
"But dude, this is my car..." (I actually said 'dude...')
Second instance. I had photographed a Jamaican couple's wedding. The husband owned a Jamaican restaurant in town. Admittedly, it wasn't a part of town I frequent, but I don't actually GO downtown that often. I didn't know much about Jamaican food - outside of hearing about oxtail soup... so I asked, "So would you guys meet me there sometime? I"d like to go."
The husband looked at me and said, "It's okay. White people go there sometimes..."
"That's fine - but I was actually thinking it'd be nice to have you there to help me with the menu."
There was a short pause before the husband said, "Sure. Just call us up. We'll meet you there."
One night, I was walking to my car. I had been at a show - so it was probably 11 pm. As I walked down the sidewalk, I could hear someone behind me - but I kept moving. As I got to the car, I stepped off the sidewalk and approached the drivers' side door. This, for some reason, incensed the African American man walking behind me.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," he steamed. He thought I was crossing the street to avoid him. He thought I thought he was a threat. He thought that by stepping off the sidewalk, I was running away.
"But dude, this is my car..." (I actually said 'dude...')
Second instance. I had photographed a Jamaican couple's wedding. The husband owned a Jamaican restaurant in town. Admittedly, it wasn't a part of town I frequent, but I don't actually GO downtown that often. I didn't know much about Jamaican food - outside of hearing about oxtail soup... so I asked, "So would you guys meet me there sometime? I"d like to go."
The husband looked at me and said, "It's okay. White people go there sometimes..."
"That's fine - but I was actually thinking it'd be nice to have you there to help me with the menu."
There was a short pause before the husband said, "Sure. Just call us up. We'll meet you there."
Labels: Life Issues, Stories
posted by Kell @ 3:51 AM
3 Comments:
At 5:10 AM,
Sarabeth said…
Those are good.
At 6:38 PM,
Anonymous said…
Kell it's Jess. Thank you for leaving comments for me. Your frank sharing about incidents of un-racism raises a topic that needs to be revisited often. I witnessed African American students teasing a white student in a school I was subbing in. Can't we all just get along, I thought. But after reading your account of things maybe I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe the incident I witnessed had nothing to do with whether the kid was white or not. Maybe they were equal opportunity mockers.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the comments and back at cha. Jess
At 1:15 PM,
Tiecen said…
It's strange. I think some groups of people are so use to inequality and are expecting to be treated that way so much that they'll be a little defensive. Thanks for commenting on the Gabe thing. I know it's true that people don't change but for some reason I still hold out hope. I think it's a woman thing. Hope of the hopeless and all that.
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