"It might be Martin Luther King Day, but you're a ni**er"
When you saw the word in the title, even though I didn't write it, did it make you gasp? Did it make you feel weird? Good.
Two of my students told me a story that happened on a bus on Monday, our federal holiday designed to help us feel better.
It involved a bus driver, several passengers, several arguments, and ended with a fight on the bus.
After the story was over, my student, who is African-American, said with wonder "I never heard a white person use the word like that before, like they was serious."
I am thrilled that he hadn't heard that before. I wish he hadn't this time.
Should we be happy that the person who said it was the one who got beat up?
So much for the spirit of love, understanding, dreaming and overcoming.
Next time you think "you know, I don't think we need to worry about that stuff anymore," remember.
His dream won't be realized when be people stop saying it in anger. It will be realized when people stop thinking it.
Two of my students told me a story that happened on a bus on Monday, our federal holiday designed to help us feel better.
It involved a bus driver, several passengers, several arguments, and ended with a fight on the bus.
After the story was over, my student, who is African-American, said with wonder "I never heard a white person use the word like that before, like they was serious."
I am thrilled that he hadn't heard that before. I wish he hadn't this time.
Should we be happy that the person who said it was the one who got beat up?
So much for the spirit of love, understanding, dreaming and overcoming.
Next time you think "you know, I don't think we need to worry about that stuff anymore," remember.
His dream won't be realized when be people stop saying it in anger. It will be realized when people stop thinking it.
posted by Portia | 1/19/2006 12:39:00 PM
1 Comments:
I agree we will have seen progress when all of us stop thinking cruel names in our own heads. We can continue to educate ourselves. I recommend Barack Obama's book, Dreams from My Father, and one I haven't read yet, Sundown Towns. We must know what was and is real and face the truth.
Portia's Mom
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