Last night when I listened to Senator Obama’s speech about race…
I could only think of someone stepping out of a closet…
The issue of race is a touchy deal…
With so many claims of non-existent racism and denial...
His analogy about his pastor’s remarks versus his grandmother’s
Was the realest thing…if we disassociated ourselves from loved ones when they come out of a particular bag, we would be, well, without any people in our lives…
We all know that there are folks who make exceptions for some,
But struggle with accepting all,
This morning driving across the bridge I thought about all of this,
Knowing that the speech will impact many,
But those with a certain kind of heart, well as my grandma said, ‘That’s a tougher row to hoe…’
Because to change a situation, circumstance or income bracket,
Isn’t all that hard, but changing a heart is something else altogether,
And many times a person hasn’t admitted, owned or acknowledged what is in their heart,
Racism is a hard thing to just flat out admit or own…
It’s easier to call it something else,
I recall a couple years ago when I published my first book,
I told a couple of the women in my office,
They purchased, attended my events and couldn’t stop talking about it,
One day however, we were at a luncheon and one of the women told another co-worker,
She couldn’t wait to get her signed copy,
After getting it weeks passed without a word,
I wondered what was up, starting feeling like Erykah, a little sensitive about my…#%^@
But time passed and I moved on, everything is not for everybody...
One day out of the clear blue sky,
I was told that my book made this woman realize how black I was…and that made her uncomfortable, and get this…
Not that my characters were black but that they were wealthy and uninterested in being anything but black…
Huh…
I was told that I blur the lines better than anyone,
And when people think of me they don’t think race…
They think Angelia…please...
But when writing a book filled with for the most part, positive black folks all of a sudden she was uncomfortable with me…two years later, we smile cordially but she never quite meet my eyes…
But I can assure you that she will never in any way own that as being the teensy, weensiest bit racist or even racial…
Not realizing that not seeing me in my entirety but only in a way that was palatable to her…well you feel me…
So I am really glad that the Senator stepped out of that closet,
Giving us all something to think about,
Only time will tell how much of an impact it will all have…
Blessings,
angelia
6 comments:
It was a great speech. I agree though that people with racism in their hearts won't be able to really hear it the way they need to. That part where he compared the preacher words to his grandmother's sometimes racist ways and words was powerful. But some people won't be able to get it. I wish I was at home today to catch The View because I know that little girl, Elizabeth, won't get it and she'll be the litmus test for a racist response.... Oh well...
As for the white woman on your job... Her loss...
Gwyneth
Lady Gwyneth,
Elizabeth will surely be at a loss,as for the woman in my office it is surely her loss, because we are not monolithic and we offer so much in terms of diversity in how we live or are educated or are able to relate, it has never stopped astounding me when people assume we are all the same...no other race of people are grouped together as having one mind in quite the way we are, or are held responsible for everything every one in our race does...it aggravates me sometimes to always be seen as the exception to some arbitrary rule...oh well...as you say...
Smooches,
angelia
Yep it's time to deal with the big white elephant in the middle of the room...and it would be nice if white folks would dig their heads out of the sand and come to the table seeking to understand why black folks...no matter how professional, highly educated, higher income we might be...feel the way we do about America.
I hear you about exceptions Angelia...but hmmm these white folks at the office have seen some black sides of me lately that they're now afraid to even mention anything about Barack around me.
Fine if you can't say anything good...don't say anything at all.
I hear you Yas,
what is interesting in years past the folks in my office talked ad nauseum about politics, this time around mum's the word, at least around me...
blessings,
angelia
Okay my officemates and I just spend the last 35 minutes talking about the white elephant in the room...most of the them are significantly younger than me and weren't even born during the civil rights movement...and when I started breaking stuff down for them regarding why I feel what I feel is because of how I was treated and continue to be treated...they were like flabbergasted.
They even asked if I needed to forget it and let it go...I said yeah I do and I will as soon as ya'll seek first to understand and then to be understood...that totally went ova there heads...so I told them to go and pick up Stephen Covey's book...but bottom line AfAms of my time won't forget until we feel that change has truly occured in America.
I will continue to teach my son that he can't do what his white friends do because why they might only get a slap on the wrist he will be thrown under the jail...guilty until proven innocent.
Then these folks asked me did I think we could ever move forward in unity...I said all things are possible with God...but as long as hate groups exist and folks till judge us based on the color of our skin...gnaw I don't think America is going to change...and to that point Jeremiah Wright didn't say anything that wasn't true.
America is home but it ain't that great...while America is trying to save the world how about we take off the blinders and try and SAVE home.
Til next time...
xoxo
Unity is one of the hardest things to bring about, so much history, so much pain...
blessings,
angelia
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