Posted by stray411I'm only taking issue with this thread because everyone is just throwing up opinions and showing their biases. I would just like to see some FACTS from that side of the discussion.
The tricky thing about
proving what some of what's being said is that it's not like a bank robbery, you know, once the bank's robbed, it's robbed. No ifs ands or buts, it's history, it's done, case closed. With (allegations of) racism, more often than not, things are not so cut & dry, particularly when the country we live in has "outlawed" such behavior & it's generally frowned upon *in public.*
It's never been documented that when I ride up next to people in my car, sometimes they suddenly lock their car doors. Nor has it been "documented" that even today when I go into certain stores I got some fool sales clerk stuck so deep up my ass I can feel their eyes blinking in my belly. It's also never been documented that at job interviews I sometimes get the most incredulous looks & comments ("YOU really did that?"). Last year, I inquired about a job & the HR bitch must've asked me 6-7 times was I "aware" that their company has a strict drug-testing policy, "including random testing up to 4 times a year." Finally, I told her that I heard her the first time she drove up, that English really was my first language, and if she'd like I could repeat what she said to me verbatim in 3
other languages ("That won't be necessary, Mr. Harris, thank you"). Needless to say, I kept my resume & walked out the door. Still, that shit is real. People have driven past me (while I was walking, while driving, and even while standing in front of my own store) and yelled epithets at me. Sometimes, when I meet (white) people, they try to talk & act how they
think I'm gonna (or should) talk & act. I've been blown off by cabbies, harassed by the cops for being in the "wrong" neighborhoods, driving "too-nice" of a car, and even fucking the "wrong" woman (yeah, a cop actually DID make a comment about this - Native American, at that). I've lived in neighborhoods where many of its' residents had a SERIOUS problem with (people who look like) me, and it could only have been due to race. We were strangers, all they knew about me was my peoples could afford a house there & the same kinda of cars they drove. Oh yeah, & my pops was chief of staff at the hospital many of them worked at & all of them went for treatment. Still, we got mailboxes smashed, cars vandalized, slurs spray-painted on the driveway, and our house skipped over on halloween. I was taunted on school buses, threatened in school, and even
chased by an angry daddy who said "no nigger is good enough for my (his) daughter."
Being black, and thusly genetically inclined to be an excellent athelete, I hopped four fences before his eyes could even focus on where I was.
I could go on. Many of us have these same stories to tell. Funny thing is, when you grow up in an environment where people are often times pre-judging you based on anything, particularly something you can't hide or change, you become acutely aware of these situations. As far as proven/documented "FACTS," well that's a horse of a different color. I can't exactly report to the police that the lady in 7eleven dusted in the same spot for 4 minutes as I chose between grape or peach Nehi to go with my salt & vinegar chips. I can't report that the car salesman at a local dealership had the nerve to ask my then fiancee, "are you guys REALLY here to buy a car, or are you just wishful thinking? If you just wanna look, then you should look somewhere else." Maybe he didn't like our clothes or something, but most of the people I know who've got loot DON'T wear ugly-assed suits from The Men's Wearhouse, or Dockers, hush puppies, and JCPenney ties - like that salesdick did. And no, that doesn't mean they're entertainers, drug dealers, pimps, hoes, or athletes. I COULD'VE reported two dudes talking (racist) shit & 1 dude pulling his blade on me at a bar not long ago. I squelched that shit with them with the quickfast (suffice it to say one can find A LOT of empowerment standing up to two yokels in a yokel bar in a yokel town with yokel cops), probably perpetuating the rumor that black folks are some kind of physical "super" fighting specimen at best, and at worst, just plain "crazy." I'm not "super" anything, except super fed-up. Most times & situations, there's nobody to "report" shit to. And if so, to what avail? We don't have any "Race Police," and if our country's role as World Police is any indication of how my situation would be handled, I'd prefer most of the time to take my chances on my own.
Of the things that are reported, how often is serious action, if any, taken? And Stray, don't you think that during the 50s & 60s there was a lot of racial drama in America? It's even in your history books, but only because it was an overt, legal-national issue. I'll bet that actual police reports of racist-fueled crimes against people are slim-to-none. And, i'll bet that of those filed, 99% were, uh, "handled appropriately."
Were it not for DNA testing, there'd STILL be an additional 117 or so Black men on death row for crimes THEY DID NOT COMMIT. In many cases, these men weren't even in the vicinity when the crime occured, but legally lynched, anyway. Many of the men & women who wrongly put those men behind bars are still active politicians, judges, mothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, teachers, union reps, pilots, doctors, and lawyers today. Anytime there's a sketch of a "black male" suspect on TV, I turn my head to look, if only to make sure it doesn't look just like me, like so many do.
Tall, black male, shaved head, goatee or beard, deep voice, gray hooded sweatshirt, and black baseball cap. Suspect last seen bobbing his head as he cruised down the street with his system on crunk (ruining any chances of him becoming an engineer with a truly critical ear), and cherry root in his mouth. Suspect reported to be armed & dangerous as eyewitnesses say he kept muttering something about being "all about the BEATS, man." We believe, based on that report, that the suspect may be trained in the martial arts or some other hand-to-hand combative techniques. If you see this man, do not approach, do not try to apprehend, call 911 immediately. I've got some interesting litigation goings-on right now. It's Federal, it's race-related, and in this case, the judge had long ago developed a reputation for treating minorities far differently than those of his ethnicity in his courtroom. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on (since I gotta have "proof" to make my allegations legit, otherwise I'm making unsubstantiated claims & therefore I'm full of shit). I don't know that my actions will make an immediate difference in the world, but I chose this particular battle because somebody had to, and it may as well be me, and intend to live my words through & through. At least it'll be on-the-record for the next person who gets hanged in his courtroom. And no, I didn't get fired from a job, refused service at Denny's, or harrassed by 5-0 (in this case)...
The shit spewed by people on BBSs & websites clearly illustrates that these problems exist (and no, I don't think any race is exempt from commiting these atrocities). Even in jest, some think it's ok to say really stupid shit. You want more proof? Check the Anti-Defamation League or Southern Poverty Law Center Websites (some good work there, but some questionable hiring practices there, too, as late as 1994). You can peep "white pride" groups," "kkk," etc. online, too. Check the amount of MUSIC being created with anti-everything-unless-it's-just-like-me sentiments in mind.
I figure if the situation of blacks in this country is so bad it should be easy to bring one example. I'm not trying to argue, just bring clarity to the matter.
There are several high profile cases durrently in litigation, both between individuals and individuals & companies/corporations. Latest I heard of is with Abercrombie & Fitch - last week. Denny's is currently trying to settle yet another case out-of-court, Cracker Barrel is still reeling from the effects of its' well-publicized losing efforts as defendant, and not long ago, Starbucks (unsuccessfully) tried to hide the fact that in its' "marketing & outreach" plan they chose not to advertise on urban radio because the demographic they were trying to reach wasn't "at" those types of stations & they didn't want to attract 'that kind of" clientele. Any business that dosen't want the money either of my parents makes is fucking stupid because they got loot nowadays. I don't, but they do, and they listen to a
different urban station than I would. In the 90s, Shell settled a HUGE case brought against them by an upper-tier black executive who, despite a wall full of awards of recognition and such (many granted by Shell), this guy was consistently passed over for the promotion that would've made him head of his division - even his white colleagues testified that "something was out-of-whack" as dude was by far the most experienced, qualified, and battle-tested for the job.
Smaller, but equally important shit, like my case, rarely makes it to the news, win, lose, or draw.
diendolo
