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Given recent events, I was hesitant to post on the subject. As it turns out, I do have something to say.
Several years ago, I was out on a business lunch with our customer. One of the people there was this fantastic lady, G. G. was the only black person and one of very few women in management in her division of this particular extremely competetive business (you've all heard of this company). She is an amazing and inspirational woman who takes absolutely no crap whatsoever.
During the course of the lunch, she told a story about how she'd gone to lunch with her family, including her four-year-old daughter, over the weekend. Her daughter was apparently a bit restless (though knowing G. I have every confidence the child's behavior was well within acceptable parameters). However, they'd been seated near some cave-dwelling neanderthals who turned around at one point and asked them to shut the little nigger up.
I was appalled that anyone could use that word on a child. Shocked, even. I'd seen a lot of quiet racism, and heard a lot of white people saying horrible things behind the backs of people of color, but I had never imagined someone would casually do something like that in public. I said as much - the story had really opened my eyes.
G.'s response was that all black children have to get their cherry popped sometime.
I will never have to try to somehow explain to my daughter why her skin color makes her practically an animal in some people's eyes. I will never have to tell her that some people will assume she has no money, or that she's greedy, or that she likes to fight, or any of the other stupid, negative assumptions people make about other races and cultures.
My daughter is five, and she does not know the meaning of the word nigger. She has never (to my knowledge) even heard it. I will tell her, but I will wait until she can try to begin to understand.
This is my privilege as a white mother.
Several years ago, I was out on a business lunch with our customer. One of the people there was this fantastic lady, G. G. was the only black person and one of very few women in management in her division of this particular extremely competetive business (you've all heard of this company). She is an amazing and inspirational woman who takes absolutely no crap whatsoever.
During the course of the lunch, she told a story about how she'd gone to lunch with her family, including her four-year-old daughter, over the weekend. Her daughter was apparently a bit restless (though knowing G. I have every confidence the child's behavior was well within acceptable parameters). However, they'd been seated near some cave-dwelling neanderthals who turned around at one point and asked them to shut the little nigger up.
I was appalled that anyone could use that word on a child. Shocked, even. I'd seen a lot of quiet racism, and heard a lot of white people saying horrible things behind the backs of people of color, but I had never imagined someone would casually do something like that in public. I said as much - the story had really opened my eyes.
G.'s response was that all black children have to get their cherry popped sometime.
I will never have to try to somehow explain to my daughter why her skin color makes her practically an animal in some people's eyes. I will never have to tell her that some people will assume she has no money, or that she's greedy, or that she likes to fight, or any of the other stupid, negative assumptions people make about other races and cultures.
My daughter is five, and she does not know the meaning of the word nigger. She has never (to my knowledge) even heard it. I will tell her, but I will wait until she can try to begin to understand.
This is my privilege as a white mother.