It's not the red,white and blue of the American flag or apple pie with ice cream,the America I know is one of struggle and pain.Struggle and pain for my father,grandfather,uncles and the men I grew up knowing as models in my community.What inspired me to write this post today was the response that I recieved from some folks I follow on the blogersphere.Even though their comments were understood by me they were not taken as malicious or disrespectful,but simply as lack of experience in my world.Black men in these United States are demonized every hour of every day of the week.So my experience with Police are different from many who responded to my post on the thuggish behavior of three Pittsburgh Policemen.Black men are not respected by this society because of fears to many to name.Let me use some experience from my part time job at the convenice store,about 50% of the White folks I encounter have what I now call" The Sen. Harry Reid Diease".The only time they are comfortable interacting with black folk and black men in particular is when they precieve you to be safe.I watched as my father and grandfather had to jigg and buck dance to get the things they needed to substain their families.Sorry folks the days of jigging and buck dancing is over for many black men,your fears are not mine to assuage.
Bigmac
6 comments:
Interesting. I view all this as an outsider. We Canucks don't have the same history and I never noticed black-white racial tensions growing up in my Prairie Canadian city. Over here the dynamic is more aboriginal-white, and there's a shameful history behind that but it's very different.
Bigmac,
I feel ya..Your comments are right on the money. I am so tired of white males in fear of me because of thier own fears....
Thanks for stopping by thrasher, it feels so liberating to simply be who the hell I am and not give a dam what others may think of me.And thats not said with a ounce arrogance.
I am white and I read your blog to learn about your experiences. Education about one another connects us. Thanks Big Mac for being yourself and sharing. Don't water it down. We all need to know who we are and each other.
Thanks for stopping by calmcoach,I do enjoy your tibbits of simple and real advice on your blog.
I see we have some shared experiences BigMac. It's sometimes amazing to me that some people don't have a clue as to what has happened and continues to happen in this country.
Things have gotten better or the years, but I refuse to forget what has happened to me.
I have the highest hopes that my son's future won't be inclusive of many of the things I've seen in my life.
It can only get better.
Post a Comment