It Takes Just One...

...person to redeem the indiscretions of others. Here's why I say that.

A few weeks ago, I headed to my physician's office for my annual checkup. As I walked into the building, a white woman who was maybe in her 50s saw me heading toward the elevator and tried to hit the "close door" button (she still had her finger on it when I got in). When I finally got into the elevator, she huddle herself in the corner like a frightened woodlands creature. I just looked at her, rolled my eyes and shook my head.

When the elevator stopped, I let her get off first as any Southern gentleman should do. When she stepped out of the elevator, she glanced over her shoulder as if to which way I was headed. I just stood behind her to give her time to get the hell out of my way. She turned left and so did I since that was where my doctor's office is. The entire length of the hallway, she kept glancing over her shoulder behind her and I just kept my distance. I also noticed that there were security cameras around. If this woman claimed that I had done something to her, I would have proof that I didn't. Then finally, out of no where she stopped, backed up against the wall and stayed there until I passed. I just walked on by shaking my head.

When I rounded the corner, she was still standing there against the wall. I stopped just to take a look back around that same corner and she had continued her walk toward my present direction. I continued on to my destination wondering why she was scared of me and wondering how I could have been so intimidating to her. Was she scared of men? I think not, since she was talking to the white man that got off before I got on. Was she scared of Black men? Probably so. But even though I was a little upset, I brushed it off as just another dumb ass white woman.

And this is how I know that God works magic when it needs to be worked.

After my visit, I headed back down the aforementioned hallway back to the elevator and saw that the door was closing. Suddenly the elevator door reopened and there was another white woman in probably in her 70s who was holding the "door open" button. On the short way down to the 1st floor, she asked me how my day was and I replied and and asked her the same. This short little interaction put a smile on my face and let me know that all white women aren't scared of us.

Each time something like this happens, it saddens me a little bit more that this still goes on. It happened again today except this time it was some gay white man grabbing his man purse when I walked toward his direction in Starbucks. It makes me wonder if I look that menacing and intimidating.

Do I need to soften my look and be sure to smile. But then I thought, why in the hell would I change myself to make others feel comfortable? I'm not the one with the problem, they are. And it's up to them to change themselves and their thinking.

Black Man In An Elevator (NSFW)

I keep finding things to laugh at!!!!!

This is as funny as all get out, but it's not work safe AT ALL!!!!

http://www.maniacworld.com/Black-Man-in-an-Elevator.html

Excedrin RT II

So after reading all of the comments on the first Excedring RT post, I felt that I had to come back with a follow up and speak my mind. I'll admit once again that what I said may have been wrong and insensitive, but as I stated earlier, it's one of my prejudices. And my point of this post is that ALL of us have them. So when I read the comments on my blog it pissed me off that people had the nerve to call me ignorant and rude. What I said may have been insensitive, but I at my core am not ignorant or rude.

BIAS:

Dictionary.com defines it as "a particular tendency or inclination, esp. one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice."

Humans are conditioned to favor their own race. Even those who reject their race and assimilate into another race's culture. How do I know this? How many times have you as a black person been watching the news and hear that someone was arrested for robbing a convenience store. Before they show that picture, in your head *or out loud* you are saying "please don't be Black, please don't be Black." When the picture is shown and it's a Black person, you then say "DAMN." Tell me that you haven't done it and I can call you a liar.

When you are watching sports, are you not hoping for the Black athelete to come out on top?

How many of you want Barack to win on the sole fact that he is (half) Black?

I'll tell you a story. One night, a group of 10 of my friends and associates and I went to Joe's on Juniper for some food and drinks. As would be, the Academy Awards were playing on the television monitors in the establishment. We noticed that when a white person won an award, the mostly white crowd would go into applause. But when a black person won, there was silence. So we started giving applause when a black person won. What really pissed off the white people was when we gave a standing ovation and rousing round of applause when Hattie McDaniel's name was mentioned. She was mentioned as the first Black person to be awarded an Oscar. She won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone With the Wind. You should have seen the stares and dirty looks that we got. How's that for favoring you own race? But don't we all do it?

PREJUDICE:

Dictionary.com defines it as "any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable."

It's hard to believe that there is any person on this earth who doesn't have preconceived opinions about people who are not of their race. And the most striking thing is that people don't want to admit it. How many times have you started a statement with "white people..." or "latino people" or "Asian people...?" How many. The point that i'm trying to make is that we all have some pre-judged thoughts of people of other races. One of mine is that white people don't wash their hands. In turn I don't shake hands with them unless I feel that it's obligated. Call me prejudice if you will, I just may answer. Now tell me one of your prejudices, if you can admit to it.

RACISM:

Dictionary.com defines it as "hatred or intolerance of another race or other races."

Now this is a category of which I do not fall into. I never have and hopefully never will hate another race. I see no reason to. I may admit to being prejudiced, but nothing can make me hate another race. If there is, tell me now so that I can be informed. As many Black people were put into slavery, lynched, harassed, and denied opportunity by white people, I still don't HATE them. It's just not in my heart or mind. While I do have my pre-judged thoughts about other races, I refuse to be intolerant of another race.

CONCLUSION:

I wrote this post because I want people to know that Bias, Prejudice, and Racism are a part of each and every person on this Earth. Our differences are what both keep us apart and keep us together. Think about it. NO human can escape how they truly feel about racial issues. I honestly believe that expressing how we truly feel will actually help with racial issues. We should not be afraid to talk about them. If we dont' talk about them, then people can pretend that the issues don't exist. Maybe I shouldn't feel the way that I feel, but I am human and I am imperfect just like everyone else.

And to top it off, dude didn't wash his hands until after the conversation.

Excedrin RT

I think that this is the funniest faux commercial ever made! Especially from when she says "Oh no you didn't". Why? Because it points out things that black people go through everyday.

I had to let a caucasian co-worker have it yesterday because he called me racist! I had to explain to him that i'm not racist, i'm conditioned to react to white people.
Here's what happened.

He said that he had to go to the bathroom. When he came back, I asked him if he had washed his hands. I asked that because he has a bad habit of touching people when he talks to them. He asked why I asked him and I told him *and yes I was wrong* that I noticed that white people don't wash their hands when they use the bathroom. He called me racist and that's when I had to let him have it.

First I explained to him that racism is a hatred or intolerance of people of other races. It's also a belief that inherent differences among the various human races is what determines cultural or individual achievement. I don't subcribe to that belief nor do I hate any person because of their race. So I told him that the next time he decides to call someone out of their name, to please know what he is calling him.

I then went on to explain to him that he would never know what it feels like to experience the prejudice in the same form that a Black person does each and every day. He doesn't get the stares when he goes shopping. He doesn't experience white women getting off of an elevator when he gets on. He doesn't have to worry about being thought of as less than because of his skin color. He doesn't have to experience any of the racial bullshit that other minorities, especially Black people, have to experience. One of my Latino co-workers even joined in the conversation to get him straight.

But after all of that talking, he didn't understand and I told him that he never will. I knew that he didn't understand when he said "ya'll need to just get over it". At that point I was done with him. I haven't spoken to him since and don't think that I will.

America Is Finally Changing

This is just something that makes me think about race in a whole different way. Here are 2 articles about Joshua Packwood, who on the 18th of May will become the first white valedictorian of Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Please take a moment to read the articles here and here.

Politics and Religion

I don't discuss the topics and I tell people that when they attempt to engage me in the discussion of that subject or religion. I don't even like discussing either one on my blog. Why? Because the discussion always leads to an argument if at least 2 people have opposing or non-mathing views.

Case in point: I got a text message last night from a friend of mine who lives in Memphis. The text convo went as follows:

RH: Vote for Obama in 08.

Me: I think i'm voting for Hillary Clinton.

RH: Lord another sell out. Trying to keep a Black man out of the White House.

Me: I'm not gonna vote for him just because he is black.

RH: SELL OUT. Why can't you support the Black man?

Me: Did you vote for Alan Keyes or Al Sharpton in the 04 Presidential election?

Me: Do you shop at Black-owned stores in your own neighborhood? Do you buy Hip/Hop and Rap music of artist just because they are black? *he purports to only buy gospel music*

RH: I guess you proved my point *as I thought "WTF", how did I prove your point?*

Me: This is why I don't discuss politics and religion. Keep those opinions to yourself. You are officially on my shit list.


And this people, is why I don't discuss politics or religion. If you have a different outlook from another person, then you are part of the evil sect that must be destroyed. I guess that if this church-fiend friend finds out that I don't believe in Jesus or human-organized religion, then our friendship is over. Oh well.

You will never ever hear me attempt to persuade someone to believe the things that I believe. And I hate when other people try to force their beliefs or choices on me. I leave people to believe in what they want to and act as they want to act and I would love the same courtesy. As I always say, what one person eats will never make me shit.

Imus, Imus, Imus

This post doesn't have a direction, it's just to get some shit off my chest about this Imus bullshit.

Imus's ass should have been fired a long time ago. If I were to say something like that on my J-O-B then I would be fired on the spot and sent packing. He and his accomplice were wrong for saying what they said on national radio. Did they not know that there would be consequences? But the reason that Imus was fired is not what he said, but because he lost sponsorship Old Boss upstairs couldn't care less what Imus says as long as he doesn't lose money.

In fact, I am glad that Tim Hardaway, Ann Coulter, and Don Imus have spoken their minds. It just reminds people that there are still discriminatory people in the world. People have started wearing rose-colored glasses thinking and believing that all is well and that there is no discrimination or hatred. These 3 people have shown us that we gaven't gotten far. If not for laws and regulations, we as black people would still be living by Jim Crow laws. Don't believe me, ask Mr. Imus if he would like to be able to tell one of those "jiggaboos" to move from a table that he wants in a restaurant.

The reason that we as minorities are allowed to make fun of white people with no fanfare is simple. We don't hate them and internalize it like they do us. When white people attempt to poke fun at black folk for our ways and customs, they do it with malice. Not humor.

I do not look at a white man with disdain or a white woman with contempt in my heart. But when a white man looks at me, I wonder what's he thinking of me. If I get on an elevator and a white woman get's on after me, I get off. For the most part, I think that white people hate or at least don't like minorities. They are scared of us because they don't understand our culture. They are scared of us because they are not exposed to us. Have you ever noticed how little white children will stare at you for hours when they see you? Watch one of them one day.

As much as I travel, I see this shit all of the time. White people honestly feel that their race makes them better than us. And this is a worldwide phenomenon. Ask Thierry Henry of the French National soccer team how many times he has been insulted with racial epithets in European countries. As your minority neighbor how may instances of discrimination they have witness to or been a victim of this year. See what they say.

This shit is never going to end because white people won't let go of the stereotypes and beliefs that have long ago been proven as bullshit. No matter what we do, the will still see a "nigger" when they see a Black person. They will still see a "spic" when they see a Hispanic person. They will still see a "kike" when they see a Jewish person. They will still see a "chink" when they see an Asian person. They will still see a "towel head" when they see a Middle Eastern person. This shit ain't gonna end.