So I realized the other day that the people who I nanny for are racist.
Not in the blatant, hillbilly, makin' jokes about black people sorta way that I'm used to, but in the sneaky, rich white yuppy sorta way...the way that is a little harder to detect, but definitely still there.
I didn't notice it at first, but it is becoming more and more apparent. For one thing, they took advantage of the cheap prices of housing in a rather run-down black neighborhood, actually like the only black neighborhood, since Portland doesn't even have that many black folks; we really aren't all that diverse, as it turns out. To a white girl who grew up in a town with 2,000 people, Portland seems super diverse to me, but others say for a city this size, Portland is about as white as you can get.
Now it is ok, in my book, to move into a black neighborhood if you are of that socioeconomic class AND if you are friendly towards your neighbors. But the folks I nanny for, as with so many Portland yuppies, are simply buying up all the cheap houses around town and forcing the locals out; both with their unfriendliness, and by virtue of the sorts of businesses and standard of living they bring with them; a standard of living the average black family can't afford.
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Not only is the family I nanny for a prime example of the type of folks who are making it impossible for black families to stay in their own neighborhoods, but they are SCARED of their neighbors! I know this, because whenever I take the bus from their house at night they express concern; they say that they live in a "bad" neighborhood, that "bad" people hang out at the bus stop and on and on. When I ask what sort of "bad" people they are referring to, they don't say it, but I come to understand they mean "black people."
Now, when I ride the bus, I see more scary white folks then black folks....the only person I've seen so f'd up on drugs that she couldn't even stay upright in the past three weeks was a white girl...she was falling over on me, she was so f'd up. The black folks are generally joking teens, moms with babies, older people...nobody I'd be scared of. In fact, black folks know how to have fun..they have a sense of community and love for each other white folks never seem to know how to generate...the last week or so, I've enjoyed hearing local black folks talking mostly about politics...and Obama. It is truly exciting to hear anyone being excited about the future of our country, which seems to be in ruins at the moment. I've enjoyed riding the Killingsworth bus and hearing kids probably as young as fifteen discussing Obama and politics...it truly warms my soul.
So am I scared of my black neighbors? Hell no! What do I have to be afraid of? People of all colors, as far as I've ever seen, will treat you with respect as long as you treat them with respect. It pisses me off that white people can be so arrogant, that they take housing from a group of people and then act all scared and unneighborly around them. Who do they think they are? Beside, white is just a word; as a lady at a Full Moon Woman's Gathering pointed out last night; a made-up word to separate people and tribes. I'm not really "white" after all; I'm from tribal groups that came from Ireland, Scotland and Germany, and my skin isn't white so much as a nice bronze color. At my roots, I'm no more a "white person" then anyone else; we all have tribal ancestors, and we all deserve to live together in peace and whatever the opposite of oppression is. I don't believe fear is a good way to calm the tensions between the races...nor is stealing someone else's neighborhood...go back to the gated communities where you belong, I sometimes want to shout!
Love ya,
Carrot
It is hard to come away from the stereotypes, isn't it?
As long as we have words to bring notice to the diffrence, then there will be a preceived diffrence, and very really reaction to it no matter how subtle. As long as their is a them and they, then someone of diffrent will be effecting them.
I am not sure that white people are taking things from poor black people. I do not think that all heavily melanine-ated people are poor. Melanine chalenged people mostly are not mean to 'take' from them.
I am sure though that by infulence and example and communication you can change their minds and open their eyes.
Good luck to gray
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
I wrote a blog related to this a while back:
http://www.progressiveu.org/085103-passing-affluet-city-money
I didn't rant as much in the blog as I wanted to, though, and as more time passes in this building, I have more to rant about! My neighbors are super pissed about the new people across the street...not sure why, except that they're black and have two pit bulls. I find them to be a huge improvement over the drug dealer who were there last year (who were not black). If people didn't want to live in a diverse neighborhood, why did they buy a condo in Midtown?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
"I'm not a racist," might be one of the biggest lies going around. So many people think they're not racist and then when they're out of their comfort zones, you can see who they really are. People need to get real. If you want to gut out the racist tendencies that have grown inside you, do some digging and gut it out!
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
I read a blog this morning that talked about how everyone is racist, but I think what the author was really getting at was that we all have biases. If we are aware of our biases, we can prevent racism from growing out of them.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Getting a little angry there. i think your post is a perfect example of misunderstanding that happens between blacks and whites when talking about racism. Countless times I have complained about racism only to have a white person tell me that it doesn't exist anymore. And in many white people's minds it doesn't. They don't detect subtle racism because it doesn't have a negative effect on them. Many people don't realize just how many stereotypes they have internalized. Even the most "liberal" people are still liable to be racist. Good post. Usually posts on racism only deal with overt actions. It's good that you bring up things that are perfectly constitutional but have very racist undertones.
It's not universal, it's black
Animals are humans too
I'm more then a little angry...somehow, I had sort of ignored this type of racism up until this point in my life...now it is staring me right in the face and it is making me pissed off...I was actually yelling on the phone to my mom about it...there is nothing she can do about this situation since she doesn't even live on this coast..but it made me feel better to walk through my neighborhood and scream about racism...
And yet, at the same time, I've struggled with my own racism this year; I realized while working with a whole variety of people at the different shelters I work at that I still have some racism inside myself; (please don't judge me, I'm being vulnerable here,) only this year have I gone from liking all black folks sort of because I felt like I had to, because I'm white, to seeing each person as an individual and really feeling a connection with some folks, feeling indifferent about others and actually hating one black lady...
At first, I was critical of my hatred of her, I thought the fact that I hated her meant I had more racism to work out of me. Then I realized this was actually a good thing, because I hated her for her personality, not her skin color. I had gotten beyond skin color and I simply didn't like her as a person...this was a huge step for me. I knew it wasn't her skin color that prompted us not to like each other, because I absolutely love her sister Pat. I guess what I'm saying is I'm past the point of walking on eggshells around people of different colors, I'm starting to see all people for who they are, not the colors they wear. I'm getting rid of the white sickness that lives in all of us; white, black, brown, whatever your color...
I'm getting sick of the yuppy excuse for not voting for Obama; they say they won't vote for him because they are afraid he'll get shot for being black after he gets elected. I hear the racism behind this statement; really, they won't vote for him because they don't want a black president, so they make this excuse. It is very thinly veiled racism...and it is disgusting! If this was true, wouldn't Bush have been shot a long time ago?
I've decided I'm no longer going to say my race is "white" because as far as I'm concerned, being "white" is an illness, not a definition of self. I'm Irish/Scottish/German with copper skin and a deep love for humans in general...
Love ya,
Carrot
You definitely shouldn't feel bad for hating a black person. I hate lots of black people. I'm also getting sick of the so called die hard democrats who can't find it in their hearts to vote for Obama.
It's not universal, it's black
Animals are humans too
behind this statement lies another reality which is difficult (“not”) to grasp!, Not because one’s thoughts or eyes opened up, same applies to one’s neighbors, I’m more than happy to read each and every word of your blog and comments, but,
In fact we are far from it, regardless of what many might think, we are facing a (personal) challenge which can throw us back into ?, it’s not about choice but emotion carried within.
If something should happen to Obama, the first thing which will arise is “silence” like
if everybody is holding its breath!
After that will, follow a brief period in silencing to “question” the reality which occurred.
Depending of the circumstances in which events took place, opinions will be formed!
That’s the most “worrying” part, because of the small amount of time can become limited depending on the opinions which will arise.
To skip all this into ones daily life I do not which to open up, because it is not a reality which is facing the present moment. What I’m actually saying is that whenever one’s goes through an experience lived, it is recognized when it occurs in present life, regardless of the elapsed time in between both, “being lived time” the emotion is all explaining, like a dream not recalled in the morning,
I guess we still have a lot to learn, instead of gambling with stupidity when it boils down to choice,
To see a black or colored person is one thing! To understand the emotion which persons carry within is most amazing to live as an experience!
It is fear of carrying less color which drives people to stupidity, ALL PEOPLE!
That’s quite amazing, we spend less time to think about that, than to chose a weapon, lol
I love yours words, wpmOFF is when people recognize my words, and start thinking in color, I’m not talking about any other but yours, but to see beyond is way more exciting, rather than remain fearless for a second or some time more not fulfilled in expierience.
To all reading in color of personality, applies to All which like to travel with and in peace until stuck in confusion of another blind to see not further than one’s tone,
Who’s to blame…. When all are on the highway, to choose one another’s exit!
To boost education beyond neighbors, might, is in the thought of all to make clear what we don’t understood before.
To see a glimpse of reflection could be boosted, throughout our own offspring only, not friends, bosses or loved ones, to see loved ones, one should raise them first before having any to see you as one!
To raise, is to create life around more beautiful music to create, to understand the concept of beyond, is to create something which comes true like a thought of joy.
They have probably found new music of Mozart somewhere in Vienna, I’m amazingly exited, even while not having heard all of his music yet, we live in an amazing life and world, to make it amazing an emotion, will never be set upon color around one’s neighborhood,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leck_mich_im_Arsch
lol,
Great blog, http://www.loveearth.com/uk/film/