Back about 1999 I was living off Lancaster Ave. Largely colored community. I had my kids for the weekend and I was taking them to the Children's Museum downtown. We were going to ride the bus. I’d never ridden the city bus before. It pulled up and we got on. Nothing but black people on this bus. I’m ushering the kids down the aisle. Looking for a seat and I see a Fort Worth cop sitting there, an empty seat in front of him. I ushered the kids into the empty seat and announced “Here we go kids, we’ll be safe here”.
I’m not sure if anyone other than the cop heard me, but I’m not known for being soft spoken. I didn’t even realize until later what I’d said and how it must have sounded. Any one that heard me must have thought “What kind of cracker we got here?”.
I like to think I’m one of the least racist people I know.
Race in America. Its like a Greek Tragedy. The more you try to run from it, the more you run into it.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
THE LEAST RACIST PERSON I KNOW
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2 comments:
What a powerful story of something most of us do everyday so unconsciously.
Thank you for sharing.
I followed your link from David's site - glad I did.
I really loved your story about when you were a social worker. Quite an experience to try to play a part like that, and all the affectations that go along with it. That story, and Davids "Walking White" along with mine make a pretty cool trio. I have about a dozen stories like this one where the "racism" programmed into me comes to the surface.
I'm glad that I can recognize it.
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