Racism Is Alive And Well

I originally wrote this as an op-ed in May of 2000 for the local newspaper, the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY. I was a member of the Board of Contributors. I have many that I will add to my blog site over the coming weeks.  I chose to post this one because even though I wrote this 17 years ago, I'm sad to say that not much has changed! 

Racism Is Alive And Well - (originally published May 2000)

I know some of you may say, "oh here we go again!"  Another Black person complaining about racism"!  Please let me explain before you throw the paper in the recycle bin (or hit delete):

From the day I was born, racism has always been my shadow.  My mother, White, the youngest of fourteen children born of Italian immigrants.  My father, Black, an only child born in Winter Park, Florida.  My mother originally followed the family tradition of marrying within her race.  She had three children and divorced.  She then met my father.  To her families dismay, she married my father in the very volatile 60's.  Her family severed all ties with my mother shortly there after. I have never met my maternal family members.  With 13 Aunts and Uncles living right here in Rochester, I'm sure I have a boat load of cousins.  I might work with one of them, but I would never know.

My father died when I was six.  Picture this....A White mother, three White kids and the little Black girl with the kinky, unkempt hair that no one in the house knew how to take care of.  My mother would wait a month or two and then take me to someone to comb through the mess.  I would scream and cry while whomever faced with the task that month would try to comb through the mangled locks.  Sometimes they would have to cut big pieces of my hair out because they couldn't comb through it.  As I got older, I learned how to take care of my own hair and that could be the reason why I wear my hair short to this day, but the painful experiences didn't stop there.  When my family and I would go out to restaurants, the host/hostess would always address my mother the other kids first and then come to me and ask, "can I help you?"  When we were out and about doing things, people would always ask my mother, "who is the little black girl?"  When she would tell them I was her daughter, they would always get that same funny look on there faces.  Then there was the time when my brother who was grown and married at the time, wouldn't let me come over to his house because a friend of his was over that didn't like Black people because a Black man had killed her husband.

I won't go into the hundreds of other life scarring family situations I have endured.  I will save those for the Therapist's couch or my book.  But, I will say again, "Racism is alive and well!"

From racial profiling to church burnings, unequal education opportunities to ending affirmative action.  In the home and at work, Racism Is Alive And Well!  Pick up any newspaper or watch any newscast. 

For instance, all of the media coverage surrounding Aboriginal track star Cathy Freeman.  Past and present Australia never accepted Ms. Freeman until she became a  track star because of the color of her skin.  They claim that "allowing" her to light the torch was a major step forward, but I can't help but feel that it's too little too late.  What about the "scars" that are already there?  Believe me, they don't go away.

White America has a tendency to sweep certain things under the rug.  They say that African American's need to stop using the race card for every thing that happens.  They say that "race relations have come a long way".  I agree that race doesn't play a role in everything and I also agree that you must go after whatever you want and don't allow anything to stand in your way, but sometimes that can be difficult.  Without the proper education and motivation, it can be nearly impossible.  I often use the analogy of a shark and a piranha.  The shark symbolizes slavery - one big bite!  There is nothing you can do about, one bite and it’s over. The piranha symbolizes racism - hundreds of little bites at a time.  As African American's, racism continues to surface one bite at a time.  How many times have you heard someone say "I have Black friends", "you know what bothers me about Black people" or have you ever been talking in the hallway with several of your Black co-workers and a White co-worker asks you, "What's the meeting about?"  I could go on and on.  Their are so many more situations just like these that happen every day in the life of African Americans.  Think we are too sensitive?  Maybe in White America’s eyes we are.  Just imagine your self being bitten over and over again by a piranha.  Imagine the scars you would have after years and years of consistently being bitten.  

How sensitive would you be if you saw that fish swimming towards you again?