By: Kahmeya Lewis
Many black Americans believe racism is basically non-existent because it has never directly happened to them. Because of laws and fear of prosecution, racism has gone into the shadows and underground. Racism waits in the darkness as an unsuspecting black Americans crosses its path and pounces. I believe many black Americans have basically dropped the ball, we have become complacent and lazy about civil rights.
Black Americans basic rights are no longer discriminated against, when you eat where you like without opposition, live where you can afford, and racially date or marry whoever we choose. We have become a culture of individualist; no one ever believes they will be discriminated against until it happens to them directly. As we watch the news and see a young black male shot and killed over his race, we don’t believe it will happen to us, we believe somehow this was an isolated incident. I myself have also been guilty of this. I knew racism existed but for some reason I didn’t think it existed where I lived. I was brought up in a basically white neighborhood and went to a predominantly white school; everyone was open and friendly to everyone. In my naïve mind I believed those people that were discriminated against lived in the wrong place, but my outlook changed at 17.
In high school I played volleyball, most of my teammates were white; I was one of the two blacks on the team. We travelled to Parma to play against them at their school; we were promptly kicking their butts and high fiving each time they were unable to return a play. During the moment of triumph and complete domination over their team, I heard something in my left ear that I couldn’t believe was true. I heard, “Nigger Lovers”…..”Niggers”
In disbelief I turned toward the sound of the voices of hate, in an instant before seeing who was saying such ugliness I believed it must be kids. To my surprise it wasn’t kids at all, it was adults. I was shocked and confused, my eyes zeroed in on an old lady that look like someone’s sweet old grandmother who would be in the kitchen making pies, shouting “NIGGERS” Her face was angry and distorted with hate, I felt ashamed and sad for her. I looked across the net to the home team; they seemed to be in shock also. At the time there were no blacks in this school and everyone knew Parma did not want blacks there. But I never imagined people had such hate in them and over what? Because my skin is darker and that means I’m not good enough? I remember riding the bus back to school and everyone was in silence, it wasn’t the usually laughing and joking. Once we arrived at school my mother was waiting for me in the car, once I got in I told her what had happened. My mother told me, “The word nigger means an ignorant person, so clearly they were the niggers not you” It was that day I think I was introduced to the real world, the difference made strictly on race, and the anger and hatred that existed.
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That is a very touching story. I too believe that many people believe that racism will not happen to them. I feel that is not so much so that people do not think it exist but instead they know it exist but they never experience racism so they tend to block out the possiblities of experiencing it. I worked in germantown for a few years and it amazed me how many times I would get older white customers who would refuse me to wait on them instead they will ignore me and wait on my white co-worker to help them. Which both of us can provide the same service. Some people are blinded by its existence because parents choose not to tell stories of what or how the world really is. But my parents always told me that this is what the real world is about and when I had my first encounter with a white customer not wanting me to help them it was no surprise i simply took it and move on to the next customers. But I do believe that it is a good thing to experience racism at an early age because it does exist and sometimes there is no way of avoiding it.
ReplyDeleteI can say I can agree with you and sympathize. I too went to schools that were mixed with lots of variety. Outside of the normal now to see mostly only black children at certain schools in urban areas. Maybe sometimes you may see Latino or Hispanics, but that's all. Anyhow, to grow up in diverse schools it make you view the world differently. However, when I got married in 2001, I got a chance to see those differences head on. My husband is from a small town in the country of Mississippi. There you will find the schools very segregated. The only time you will see blacks and whites eagerly going to school together is at some of the private schools or if a white family is not fortunate enough to provide the cost of private schooling. This is only because money has no color. For those who cannot afford private schools, they have to endure the factors of a poor educational system. While those of the white schools are much more up to parts. I thought that this was something you only saw first hand in the old days, but it is clearly still prevalent today. Even when you look at the school systems here in the Memphis area you will find some of these same situations. You would think that if every tax payer is paying taxes that goes to the school system, then those who have children should not have to worry about the quality of the education their children receive. After all tax payer dollars are the same, Right? It is sad that you have to live in certain areas in order to provide your child with a stable education. It should not be, but has been allowed to be for so many years. Instead it has settled to the worst. As more whites have left areas the more you will see schools that were prosperous start to decline. It is sad, but is also true. Racism does exist whether we want to believe it or not. It may not be as open because of the change in laws, but it is there undercover.
ReplyDeleteUntil last year, I hadn’t had a white person to call me a nigger. I always wondered how I’d feel. I didn’t know if I would “go off.” I didn’t know if it would make want to fight. I just didn’t know. However, I was headed home southbound on a street named Riverdale. Riverdale is a very busy street especially if you’re trying to make a left eastbound on Shelby drive. I proceeded to get into the left lane to turn and head east down Shelby Drive and this white lady in a Saturn cut me off. She hopped in front of me so fast and close, I had to abruptly hit on brakes to avoid rear ending her. Naturally, I held down my truck horn for about 2 minutes which felt like an hour. It really angered the lady. She hopped back out of the turning lane and got in the middle lane so when I pass by, she could yell out her window at me. She yelled out of her window and called me a “Fu***** nigger.” At this point, I hadn’t turned yet. I had just moved up so our vehicles were aligned perfectly. I passed the test. I didn’t follow the lady home and drag her out of the car. I didn’t yell obscenities back at her. I didn’t ram her little tiny Saturn with my huge SUV. I laughed it off so she could see me. I knew in the moment that the word “nigger” had no power over me. The fact that I laughed it off infuriated her even more. She sped off down the street like a delirious foolish lunatic.
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