Me & Black America
I am very pro-black. I say that the way I would say I’m pro-women, pro-Asian, pro-Latino, etc., which is to say, I am not pro-black over all other races/subgroups, but supportive of the socioeconomic and political advancement of black Americans so that we as a country can create parity among the different groups. Perhaps what I mean is more that I am black-positive.
But in particular, I point out the fact that I am pro-black because I think it’s less obvious than my pro-women, pro-Asianness. Because, well, duh. Hahah. And because I think there are specific roots for my black-positivity.
Unlike many of my peers and friends, I had a lot of black teachers when I was growing up. Several of my homeroom teachers were black. Everyone’s favorite teacher from my elementary school as the super nice, super pretty, super cool art teacher, who was black. My music teacher, who taught us all the difference between ‘melody’ and ‘harmony’ as well as a ton of civil right movement songs, was a kind of gruff, been-a-teacher-forever-don’t-let-me-see-you-goofing-off black womaan. You either loved her or hated her, but she was definitely a strong woman. I grew from being terrified of her to kind of hating her to sort of loving her on reflection.
As I’ve mentioned before, I also had a lot of black classmates and friends when I was small. So at my elementary school, with both the teacher and student populations as mixed as they were, Black History Month wasn’t just a short month where someone made an announcement once and that was it. Everyone always did book reports on black historical figures, so we all knew ridiculous amounts of things about people like Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver (who also came up for reports when we were studying inventors and scientists), Martin Luther King, Jr., and whole slews of other people. We learned who really invented the cotton gin, the tragic early history of blood transfusions, the difficulties of the segregated south and the brave students who first integrated.
It was just a very natural part of my upbringing. And because of my specific interest in Asian American studies and because of my bleeding pinko heart, I paid attention with perked up ears whenever other race issues came up.
It was pretty shitty that there was so much black-Asian tension in the major cities when I was growing up though. Well, there probably still is. It’s weird because my profession and my suburban life removes me so solidly from most of society enough that I don’t know what the current state of things is as far as black-Asian relations when I’m living in a major metro area. Sigh. This is why I miss taking public transportation. That’s where I feel like I’m really with the random people of my community/city.
Anyway, discrimination against blacks in the US is so pervasive and obvious to me, yet so many people act like it’s not happening that it is appalling. It’s so weird to me that people can spend any time thinking about the issues at hand and NOT conclude there are major problems that we as a nation need to address. Of course, I mean that in a larger sense of tolerance and acceptance of differences in general, but it just seems so… obvious.
Rant rant. Ramble ramble.
It’s weird because my profession and my suburban life removes me so solidly from most of society enough that I don’t know what the current state of things is as far as black-Asian relations when I’m living in a major metro area. Sigh. This is why I miss taking public transportation. That’s where I feel like I’m really with the random people of my community/city.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. My lifestyle really seperates me not only from other socioeconomic slices of life of the city I live in, but from my city itself. I take public transit all the time, but it’s not enough. Not nearly enough. I want the dream: to live and work in the same city. I want it quite badly. How badly? I’m still deciding.
I want the dream: to live and work in the same city.
Meh, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I blame iPods.
A_B
Aww, Swarley beat me to the humorous side of this post.
As I’ve mentioned before, I also had a lot of black classmates and friends when I was small.
I am the exact opposite. In my formative years, it was Ventura then Palmdale. While not racist in the sense of hate or superiority, it would be a lie to say all my motives are truly, completely neutral of aesthetic preconceptions. Perhaps this places me in the overly sensitive area of the populace since I tiptoe through most questionable situations.
As demonstrated by the Michael Richards debacle, the definition of racism is vague at best.
I place myself in the pro-nothing camp. There are too many little communities and cultures within just a race or community. After interacting with people through 28 years of life, I cannot define something as typical Chinese or black or Asian or white or MIT or Chicagoan. Too many exceptions to these preconceptions. Instead of proactive, I am very reactive; I often times push friendships to their boundaries (and sometimes break them). I sink myself into the golden rule: trying to put myself into someone’s shoes and figuring out what they want.
Perhaps this is all because I would rather observe and record than participate.
Anyway, discrimination against blacks in the US is so pervasive and obvious to me, yet so many people act like it’s not happening that it is appalling.
In truth: I discriminated against people because of how I was brought up; but have also been on the receiving end. It must be frustrating trying to impose change. I don’t even know how or why I changed, and doubt I am completely non-discriminate.
I wish there were an easy solution, but know this is not an easy process. But you are right, too much of it goes on for the US not to acknowledge. First step to a solution is always acknowledgement of the problem. Personally, I hope I find my way to being completely non-discriminate.
In truth: I discriminated against people because of how I was brought up; but have also been on the receiving end. It must be frustrating trying to impose change. I don’t even know how or why I changed, and doubt I am completely non-discriminate.
I wish there were an easy solution, but know this is not an easy process. But you are right, too much of it goes on for the US not to acknowledge. First step to a solution is always acknowledgement of the problem. Personally, I hope I find my way to being completely non-discriminate.
To some degree, most people at some point discriminate because of how they were brought up. And it’s not like it doesn’t make sense. When we are younger, we must be taught about the world in simpler terms (don’t eat things off the floor, don’t trust strangers, that thing with four legs is a chair that you can sit on, that other thing with four legs is a dog and might bite you, greens are good for you) so that we can learn to cope.
As we age, we learn to add the greys to the black and white (er, pun unintended, yet so apropos) so that the world really makes sense.
I’ve tried to crytallize this thought before and failed, but I think the difference between having stereotypes in your head and being prejudiced is the difference between probability and statistics: just because probability states that an even coin flipped has a 50-50 chance of coming out heads each flip does not mean that when faced with the reality of four flipped heads in a row, that you should reject that you just got four heads.
What that’s supposed to mean is that the individual, the reality of the person you are interacting with should always come before the stereotype. Before I meet a beauty queen, I may have thoughts floating in my head about what kind of person she might be. But the second I start interacting with her, I have to focus on her as an individual and learn from my real and actual interaction with her, instead of letting preconceived notions override our interactions.
I could see something that looks like a chair, but if I try to sit in it and it’s actually made of cake, then I shouldn’t sit on it, regardless of my preconceived notions about it.
I treat people this way. A person is a person is a person. A person may self-identify in many groups (as I do), but in the end, those are just shortcuts for me to give you a vague idea. The actual solid words I speak and the actions I take tell you who I really am.
I think that being anti-racist is something that can be taught and actively worked on. We have to fight against the urge to say, “Hey, that’s a chair!” but instead eat the cake.
Well, that clarifies things quite a bit. Probability vs. statistics is a great analogy.
Don’t even get me started on what I thought of Holly before I met her in person. She didn’t e-mail much on the LAB list, and the only real reference I had was this profile.
“I think that being anti-racist is something that can be taught and actively worked on. We have to fight against the urge to say, “Hey, that’s a chair!” but instead eat the cake.”
I particularly liked the turn of events in this paragraph.
I also forgot to mention my favorite writers from when I was young, due to our English teacher:
– Gwendolyn Brooks
– Langston Hughes
Then when I entered high school:
– Toni Morrison
– Maya Angelou
– Zora Neale Hurston
Reading the works of these amazing authors has really expanded my worldview. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I don’t see color. I judge people for what’s on the inside. *points to heart*
You racist.
😉
A_B