tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post8417417784313944068..comments2024-03-28T13:37:53.397-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Black in AmericaLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-77145509409210454482016-07-12T21:31:40.494-04:002016-07-12T21:31:40.494-04:00Irette, Ezekiel, Melissa, I hardly know how to res...Irette, Ezekiel, Melissa, I hardly know how to respond to this. Except I can't imagine what it is like to grow up as a black person in white America. One of my best friends in the world was a black woman I worked with in the late 60s and early 70s. She always said I was black but got pulled out of the oven too soon. She's been gone for several years and I miss her so much. We loved each other, stayed in each other's homes. We worked together and she told me early on how she knew we would get along because I didn't tell her to clean the toilets in our Xray Department. We both cleaned toilets. We both did what ever work needed to be done then we relaxed. I have to credit my mother for not raising a bigotted person. But it was by her actions and her life. The examples she lived, she didn't preach or teach me. It didn't come up in conversations. I just saw how she treated other people. With respect. No matter their skin color or the way they talked. And we lived in a small town in north TX high plains. I didn't see many black people on a daily basis. But we went to the black church sometimes. And I did go to school with Latino children. I went to work in X-ray when I was barely 17 in Ft worth, Tx. Perhaps it's because in the medical field you quickly learn if you didn't know before that we all look the same on the inside. So even after I was grown I wasn't around people full of hate and predujices, it still blows my mind there are people like that. My children were raised the same. They were always around people of color. I'm not trying to same I'm anything special. All I'm saying is although I can't stand to be around prejudiced people and although I've been close friends with black people I haven't lived in their shoes. My friend Choicie and I used to discuss racial issues a lot. I just know I don't want to live around hateful bigotted people. The sooner we can send those people to the moon will be great news for me. And to your ScFi writer Eziekel: let's have a technology hat we can put on haters which retrains them, okay?Jan Grapehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13323910083703514953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-40932972692238765432016-07-12T13:48:15.943-04:002016-07-12T13:48:15.943-04:00Wow. My parents did a lot of things wrong, raising...Wow. My parents did a lot of things wrong, raising me & my two sisters in the Washington, D.C. suburbs in the 1950s, but they absolutely weren't racially prejudiced. I have vague memories of an all-white swimming class at the YWCA. The black kids who lived nearby would look at us through the fence until it was their turn to swim. Years later, I found out that a cousin was secretary of the local KKK chapter.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00239163766419735693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-17067726838576874812016-07-12T09:46:03.279-04:002016-07-12T09:46:03.279-04:00Anti-racism activist & educator "Jane Ell...Anti-racism activist & educator "Jane Elliot": "I want every white person in this room, who would be happy to be treated as this society in general treats our citizens, our black citizens. If you as a white person would be happy to receive the same treatment that our black citizens do in this society - please stand! - You didn't understand the directions. If you white folks want to be treated the way blacks are in this society - stand! - Nobody is standing here. That says very plainly that you know what's happening. You know you don't want it for you. I want to know why you are so willing to accept it or to allow it to happen for others." <br /><br />A great article. <br />Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-5152483090053352472016-07-12T08:33:59.726-04:002016-07-12T08:33:59.726-04:00A good piece and alas, all too timely.A good piece and alas, all too timely.janice lawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-17913035754735191182016-07-12T06:26:03.205-04:002016-07-12T06:26:03.205-04:00@Leigh, what a cool dad! Gold star. As part of thi...@Leigh, what a cool dad! Gold star. As part of this discussion, I had to explain to my son Max what the Underground Railroad was. Now I can tell him that we know someone with a connection to it--and that Velma even contributed to Humans 'n' Hot Dogs! ;) <br /><br />Another sign of hope: while I was thinking about Irette's words, I read Jennifer Cruisie's post about her work in progress ("Button, Button"). Jenny posted pictures of two characters because she likes to do collages for her work. She's one of my favourite authors, but the collage helped point out to me that I'd never noticed a person of colour in any of her books. I politely inquired if she'd ever considered it.<br /><br />The post was almost a week old. I assumed she'd ignore it. Instead, she wrote back, "I've had a blog post in draft form on this for years, and I've never finished it because (a) I sound like an idiot and (b) I keep thinking I'll figure this out. But I'll never figure it out, so I have a long answer for you which will be a blog post by the end of the day." She wrote this: http://arghink.com/2016/07/answering-melissa/ which has 137 comments on it so far.<br /><br />Now, I'm sure that 99.999999 percent of New York Times bestsellers--especially ones who haven't finished a book in six years--would have either ignored me or told me to bite myself. Not Jennifer Cruisie and her community.<br /><br />Black lives matter. Let's talk, let's write, let's fight for justice.Melissa Yihttp://www.melissayuaninnes.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42511976599771320532016-07-12T01:41:07.176-04:002016-07-12T01:41:07.176-04:00Irette, Ezekiel, and Melissa, I’ve given thought h...Irette, Ezekiel, and Melissa, I’ve given thought how to respond and started to write how lucky we kids were that our father took us to visit his black friends in a time when that sort of thing shocked others. He dropped us off to play kickball where we were the only white kids for miles around. Black church services, dinners, weddings followed, but then came a confrontation with my racist uncle that lost us the family farm. In a bout of irony, Dad purchased a new farm once part of the Underground Railroad. I’m proud of my dad, but that’s old news.<br /><br />What I see as positive is more and more white people listening (as Anon urged yesterday) and standing up for black neighbors and black strangers and becoming friends. I see more hope in the youth, the young, kids who couldn’t care less whether someone is blonde, redhead, or black. They slough off race as nothing at all, the way it should be. For us, interracial dating was a huge deal, but not for them, not in the least.<br /><br />Racial problems are far over, but I’m so glad white people are beginning to understand. Churchill said America always does the right thing… after trying everything else first. We’re getting there; I have to believe we’re getting there.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.com