I am always befuddled by how many assume that if one is PRO something, they must
Be ANTI, something else, it just ain’t so…
Being Pro-Woman, as I am, certainly does not mean Anti-Man, I am married three decades, to an awesome man, and have stretch marks to prove I produced two really cool men, I am Pro-People, but being a woman, I am certainly in the fight for my sisters,
I recall years ago, working in a bookstore in Ocala,
I was the first Black person, who had worked there,
Wasn’t sure why, maybe no other Blacks had applied (sic),
Anyway,
I was the Senior Assistant Manager, and believe me it was just a title,
But I was entering my thirties, had a small child and was in career transistion,
Had just left a sixty hour a week career, was taking a year long…something,
The manager was half Native-American and half White, cool people,
And the bookstore was filled with the latest titles, it was 88-89 and Danielle Steele,
Eugenia Price and Jackie Collins ruled the world,
I immediately noticed that the only Black authors were Alice Walker and Toni Morrison,
Of course they were award winners and I loved them, and this was pre-Terri McMillan and E. Lynn Harris but surely, I assumed, we could have some Giovanni, Baldwin, Shange, and other titles by Walker other than The Color Purple and Morrison’s Beloved,
So I went to the Ingram catalog and ordered a book or two of many titles written by Black authors, they flew off the shelves, especially the ones by Maya Angelou,
Life was good, our clientele was still mostly, retired, white people, but a bit of color, showed up every now and then,
However, what I didn’t know and was startled to discover was my co-workers felt I was Anti-White books,
HUH?
How the heck did they come up with that when I read every bestseller that came in the store, and stood for hours on end discussing with the regulars…
So I inquired,
And the manager told me it was because I was ordering so many Black books and was so,
Pro-Black, well of course a light went off in my head…
HELLLOOO!
In order to be Pro-Black, I had to be Anti-White,
Come on, give me a break,
I kindly and gently explained that I was simply about options,
And I told her I was very surprised that in Central Florida, she didn’t have more,
Native American Books, her face colored, I knew I had hit a nerve,
So ever more gently, I said,
To be Pro anything, doesn’t make you Anti anything else,
It simply makes you well rounded and well read and diverse,
It also shows you are proud of who you are,
That was the last time we had that conversation….
Love and Blessings!
Angelia
Schae’s Story: A Woman’s Transformation
12/01/2008
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/
