Extremely interesting weekend...frustrating too. I lost my cool. Usually, I am able to ignore pathetic ignorance, shocking stupidity, overbearing arrogance, and ridiculous stereotypical assumptions.
But, I had enough when a white woman immediately reached for her purse when I approached the area where she was seated. I was simply looking out a window at Panera Bread searching for my brunch date. She was late! Interestingly, the white female did not secure her purse when a male yuppie stepped near her. He obviously was looking and waiting for his date too. I discovered that when he began to get excited like a little girl who was preparing for her first date when his partner arrived. Their embrace was one that I soon had with my female companion…I must say that the expression of male on male love witnessed appeared to be genuine. Completely different from my next brush with insult.
Like I typically do on Saturday morning, I was headed for a walk. On my right was an elderly Indian woman. As I approached at a good distance from her to my left, the frail woman remarkably became a race walker. She darted for her belongings which were sitting on the side walk directly in path. Initially, I was thrown-off by her sudden JR talent.
John Riggins
Then I got a clue…she apparently wanted to secure her Bag Lady bags. As if I wanted some roach invested clothing hampers. I stopped…looked at her as she hovered over her cheap belongings then I exclaimed, “Look lady. I don’t care about your damn bags. You have not one item I want. And, you and your light skin people best stop treating me like an Untouchable. Like a Dalit. Get a damn clue.”
*Indian governments have been violently brutal to the darker people of their culture.
Sticking together is usually the last alternative for African Americans and Africans. Over the years, I have found it difficult to detect collective unity among black people like I have witnessed in the Toco Hills area of Decatur, Georgia. There the Jewish population is abundantly predominant – and their power is quite persuasive. Well, it has been with the Kroger Company. A few weeks ago, a coalition of Jewish men and women who happen to be Kroger customers lobbied and pressured the Kroger corporate office and store manager at the Toco Hill’s location to stop running an audio announcement that was repeatedly played in the store. The brief pork sale commercial was history within four days. Sadly - the slave, 1960’s discrimination, and Jim Crow historical accounts have plagued black people so much that we have issues with greeting each other. I was being friendly –I usually wear my goofy elation on my shoulder and my joy is always accompanied by a bleached teeth smile- unfortunately my happy ‘Hello’ was not received by the beautiful black female that I held a door for and spoke to Sunday morning: “Hello. How are you? What a pretty day!” She glared at me and snipingly asked, “Dang, why are you so happy?” No, thank you. No salutation in return. But, she was dressed for church…Typical Black Female Christian in Atlanta: Mad, High & Mighty, and Single.
Speaking of ‘typical’, I decided to go down to the pool that I clean every other day.
Surprisingly, the pool was full of children. It was melting pot of kids. African Americans, Caucasians, Latinos, and Indians. The parents were either in the pool or sitting in the lounge chairs…except for a couple Indian moms. These two precipitously petrified mommas were in my chlorinated water fully clothed. How many times do I have to tell them, “No street clothes permitted in pool”? Damn! I did not say a word. They did not give me a chance to. They hurried their children out of the pool as I entered the pool that I maintain! A mass exodus…because a black man got in the pool. The white momma stayed. She’s intrigued by my big feet…
Surprisingly, the pool was full of children. It was melting pot of kids. African Americans, Caucasians, Latinos, and Indians. The parents were either in the pool or sitting in the lounge chairs…except for a couple Indian moms. These two precipitously petrified mommas were in my chlorinated water fully clothed. How many times do I have to tell them, “No street clothes permitted in pool”? Damn! I did not say a word. They did not give me a chance to. They hurried their children out of the pool as I entered the pool that I maintain! A mass exodus…because a black man got in the pool. The white momma stayed. She’s intrigued by my big feet…
*Indians need to understand they are three steps from Negroid.
Lastly, another lily – and significantly overweight white female offended me. I was definitely in line. Yes I was! Or, I became invisible. She looked right through me as if I were a non-human. As if I did not matter. I was of no consequence to her. A void. As if I were an
Understanding that I am Somebody…what hurt me the most was the way my church-going sista ignored me with obvious contempt. As if I were a
*A black person or nigger who looks particularly sneaky.
And, believe me all my weekend run-ins were terribly unsettlingly.Thankfully, I was finally treated like a Black Man by a loving Black Woman who looks like this Beauty:
Kelis
The Shadow
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