Dear White People

H

ave you been watching the news?

Have you heard black people ALL OVER AMERICA saying that we never expected to see a black man elected as president in our lifetimes?

Let me say that again:

We never expected to see a black man elected as president in our lifetime.

For the most part, we (black & whites) get along in our day to day lives. But I, as a black person, have never really believed that you white people could get past the racial stereotypes and just see us as "people" and not "black people".

Forget party. That's what Barack Obama's election means to me. That white people are finally getting past this thinking of us as "less than".

But maybe y'all really didn't? Maybe you weren't mostly thinking of us in that way?

And that's the root of racism and bigotry. WE (black people) don't know what YOU (white people) really think of us. So we have to assume. History has shown what you think of us and, until now, nothing has happened to make us change our core beliefs about you.

I don't think I'm saying this right.

Barack Obama's election is not just history making. It's spirit changing.

Maybe now we can start to see each other as individuals. This means: "A man who happens to be black" and "A woman who happens to be white" instead of "A black man" and "A white woman".

When I was in college, one of my roommates, who happened to be white, told me that she didn't think of race.

I didn't believe her. As a black person, I didn't see how it was even possible to not think of race.

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a conference room or cafeteria that all the black people seem to be grouped together? We do this to ourselves because seeing someone else who looks likes us makes us feel comfortable.

I had to get over this because my father was in the military. We moved every 3 years, and we were often the only black family where ever we went. I was often the only black child in my grade at school.

For white people, I represented the entire black race because I was the only black person they'd ever met.

!!!!!!!

Nevermind.

You can't understand this from my perspective.

But I'm proud of you, White America! This doesn't change or erase the past, but we can finally begin healing our racial wounds and come together as people

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Listening to: Eric Clapton - Change The World via FoxyTunes.

Is he good looking?

I

was just in the bathroom plucking an eyelash that was sticking straight down into my field of vision when I heard Evan's TV on the George Lopez Show. (Plucking an eyelash doesn't hurt as bad as you might think it would. At least, it didn't for me.) I've never really watched that show.

Anyway, the show was about some neighbor that had just moved into the neighborhood and had a Mexican garden gnome and they (the Lopez family) found it racist.

I don't know how I ended up thinking about it, but it reminded me of a time when some white girl with whom I worked asked me if a particular black guy was good looking.

Me - Why are you asking me?
She - Because I don't know what is considered good looking for black people.

I don't remember how I answered her (it really depends on the time of the month) but I'm pretty sure that I said something about 'good looking' not being qualified according to race.


David Beckham would be good looking no matter what race he was. So would Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. And Ken Watanabe.

I'm getting distracted.

The point is 1) I've never said "He's good looking, for a white guy." and 2) What's good looking to me isn't necessarily good looking to you.

I happen to get all breathless and cheese like an idiot when I see Hugh Laurie (BTW, check out this week's TV Guide, if you haven't already. Hugh Laurie and the dude who plays Wilson - something Sean Leonard, I think - give an interview about their "bromance". Very funny).

But other people may think he's too old or too bald or whatever.

Attractiveness is subjective.

I just can't get over some of the stupid shit people say to me because I'm "less threatening" than other black people, apparently.

I remember at the pool one year some teenaged white kid asked my SIL why her palms weren't the same color as the rest of her.

Me - Do the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands tan? WTF kind of question is that? (I clearly had PMS that day.)


And just for the record, NO our hair does not feel like a brillo pad in its natural state/afro. I've had numerous white people ask to feel my hair when I wore it in an afro. They all said "It's so soft!". Then there was the white BF I had who stroked my hair while I had a relaxer (straightener) and said "Your hair feels just like ours"...

*sigh*

Just think a few seconds before you blurt out your questions to people. Even if 'some of your best friends are black', you really don't want them thinking that you're more of an idiot than they had originally thought.

:-)

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Listening to: James Brown - Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud via FoxyTunes

Diddy talks about Obama

I

have nothing to add.