I did go out to do yard work Friday afternoon, as the weeds had thrived in the heat. Listening to WNYC on my old-fashioned but trusty Sony Walkman, I heard a lot of sound clips of President Barack Obama's comments regarding racial aspects of the Zimmerman verdict. He had previously said if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin; on Friday, he said he was in effect Trayvon Martin 35 years ago, when he experienced racial attitudes such as being followed in stores or having women clutch their purses nervously when he entered an elevator (full transcript here).
He said while this type of experience persists, things have gradually gotten better and the present generation's attitudes are generally different from those of earlier generations.
I hope he is right. I was trying to do a blog post last Saturday night when the verdict was announced and my first reaction was fear that it could affect Plainfield's diverse population by separating its components. Would rage over the verdict embolden my hostile African-American neighbor, who called me a "peckerwood" and forbids his young daughter to speak to the white people in our building? Would it encourage the young man who called me a "white bitch" on the street and threw a rock at me on my way home late one night from a City Council meeting?
By and large, people in Plainfield don't make such distinctions among black, white and Hispanic residents. I know I am considered "the devil" by some Nation of Islam folks, but others will share a handshake in greeting at public events. Most people here are Plainfielders first and everything else second, especially those who have lived here for 30 years or more.
This past week has produced calls for everybody to weigh in on the verdict, along with criticism on opinions and thoughts already offered. Crunk Feminist Collective calls out white feminists for not taking action, black pundits rank black institutions and officials on their responses. Detroit radio host Angelo Henderson said Obama "showed his brother card" Friday, critics said he "re-racialized" the situation.
Even at Monday's City council meeting, there was disagreement among speakers over whether the jurors' decision was an "outrage" or simply the outcome of a trial under the U.S. judicial system.
When I first came to Plainfield in the early 1980s, I was at a public event in the Plainfield Public Library when none other than Marshall Brown told me to leave because of being white. People chuckled. I stayed, but felt the "otherness" that Brown no doubt wanted me to feel. It's not like that today, by and large, though otherness may be just under the surface. Obama's remarks spoke to that point. What we make of it will set a course for the early 21st century.
--Bernice
great blog Bernice,.also I have been acosted,called names ect.a group of about 10-15 teenagers roaming the streets.between east 7th and park ave.by the time you call the police,they are gone.and yes,i am the other.
ReplyDeleteyep... I've gotten it a couple times too with the "Devil" and other white based racist comments as well as a healthy "fag" or two for the cherry on the sundae.
ReplyDeleteI simply chuckle and laugh as I've never done that to another person in my life. It shows a lot about how they were raised.
Per that man with the child in your building.... He's breeding a hate that'll come back to haunt him someday. He'll get his, from his hate filled child or his God.
My experience in Plainfield has been different, perhaps because I live a few blocks away from the business district and the bravado the downtown seems to possess. In my building, I recall one small child running to his mother to tell her he was just talking to that "nice white lady." She chuckled and agreed with him that I was a nice white lady. I felt odd being referred to as that, but it wasn't bad at all.
ReplyDeleteThe black neighbors in my building, along my section of East Front and around the corner from Berckman to East Second usually wave, say hello and often stop me to chat. I feel secure that if I ever had a problem in my neighborhood, several folks would step up to help me. Alas, with many Hispanic neighbors, although many say hello, there is a language barrier.
Although I'm not only white, but very pale white, I understood what Obama was saying when he spoke of the perception. I remember years ago in another town where I lived in CT, I night-managed a convenience store. One young black guy, a quasi-regular customer, college-aged, nice kid, unfortunately had a car breakdown on a horribly stormy night down the street from the store.
He came in the store to tell me he was hanging out in the lot waiting for his father to pick him up. Not a problem. As the storm got worse, I peeked out the door and told him to come inside because the weather was so bad.
He gratefully accepted the offer. But, once inside, he mentioned he didn't come in before because he was black and I was alone -- he didn't want to worry me and didn't know if he'd be welcome to wait inside. WHAT? I hadn't even thought of that! Yes, I knew he was black, but I never thought he'd think I'd worry about my safety around him. I had seen him several times before and he just gave off the good kid vibe.
It gave me a different perspective on how people think.