Post Election Ignorance and Fear
It was the day after the world stood still. In other words, it was the 5th of November. Barack Obama had been annointed the president-elect of the United States of America. A day I'll always remember. Okay, I admit, I stole that line from the Temptations.
What does that mean? It means discomfort.
Contrary to the election blowout, there is still an overwhelming number of Americans who are uncomfortable with a "nigger" being president.
In an attempt to guage the attiudes of those in my little rural community just 50 miles south of Obama's hometown of Chicago, my wife and I went to a couple of local hangouts.
We stopped at a bar and grill that is well known for its serious meat pizza. It just happens to be located on the West side of town. Unwritten code word for white/staunch Republican side of town. The bar owners know us as former bar owners and me from my weekly column. Their regulars do not.
We ordered our pizza and watched the headline news that was being shown on about three flat screen TV's. As highlights of Barack Obama's historical election played, one patron voiced his opinion of our future.
"We (meaning whites) will all be picking cotton now," he said to the dismay of his seven other tablemates. "What?, ain't no blacks in here," he said in defense.
He was almost right. Normally this establishment has about two blacks that frequent it on a regular basis and both those men have white spouses or girlfriends. But they were not present. And most whites never suspect that I am black.
I could write a big book of the things whites have volunteered to me about blacks. And a sequel of their back pedaling when they learned I was black. God does have a sense of humor.
This guy's comments caught the ear of my wife, who is Cape Verde and looks Hispanic and is as fiesty as she is beautiful. She shot a stern look of disappointment in his direction. He ended his conversation.
I stuck a big piece of pizza in my mouth and began to pray.
Oh, what are black folks saying? That is a whole 'nother blog.
posted by rondering @ 8:29 AM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Incredible. I'm sorry for my sense of surprise, but I'm just being honest. I can believe it, but in a way I really can't believe that these kinds of comments are uttered. I find it unnerving, and exploring the attitudes and feelings behind them would be a scary thing. Necessary to confront, but at the same time a place we could really wish that we didn't have to go...that it didn't exist. How in the hell are we going to finally rid our society of the attitudes? It's depressing. Don't even get me started on Prop8.
Yeh, I had the pleasure of speaking with someone from Texas while working on the Obama campaign who shared with me that he didn't have a problem voting for Obama since he felt he was "95% white". I just giggled glad for the vote. One drop different perspective.
Or the time an older co-worker shared with me after returning from vacation in Memphis that she and her boyfriend had a great time but that they weren't gonna pay $12to see where that "nigger, Martin King" died. I said, "Mary, you know that I'm black right?" She just blushed and said, "well, that's a lot of money to see a balcony..."
(I'm creole and folks never really know what to think...probably alot like you and your wife!)
That book you could write just might be interesting!! Folks reading about the things that other folks say, and how we have to laugh to keep from crying. I knew exactly what President-elect Obama was speaking of when he stated there were things his granma used to say that would make him "cringe".
C'est la vie, I guess...great post.
GO LISA!!!!!!!
Ron, write the book already!!!!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home