I have a dream that one day, asshats will not have sway over impressionable children
Happy MLK Day, everybody! CNN says that racism is over, but I'm not so sure.
One thing I am sure of is that I can't wait to hear my students' responses to tomorrow.
I'm from Cincinnati (motto: "No race riots since 2001!"), a very segregated city. In honor of today, here's an awesome story I heard this weekend.
A friend of mine is getting married in May. She's 26. SAt her shower this weekend, which was full of Catholic moms, there was much discussion of All The Babiez She Will Have, LOL! (She dealt with this quite gracefully.) Anyway, at some point, she said, "Well, if I can't have my own, I'll just adopt."
Her Mom: Oh, so you can finally get a little black baby like you've always wanted!
(She and everyone else at this shower were--wait for it--white.)
Her: Well, yeah, that is an option. I already have a black sister, for all intents and purposes.
(She's been mentoring a first-generation African immigrant brother and sister pair for about three years now, so this is true.)
Her Mom, to everyone else: LET ME TELL YOU A STORY. OKAY. So one year for Christmas, we went to go see Santas at [upscale store in one of the rich white neighborhoods], and there was a big line for the one Santa, but there was also a BLACK Santa, and there are NO black children in [the store]. So [DAUGHTER] felt sad that NOBODY was in line for that Santa, and she said, I want to see THAT Santa! And that's where it ALL started.
Her: ...
Her Mom: I'll tell you another story. We got a hotel room for her birthday when she was five, because when it all comes down to it, it's SO much cheaper to pay $100 and get a sheet cake and let the kids all swim around in the pool and exhaust themselves, so we were there, with [at this point she does a Super West-Side thing, which is name all of the kids at the party, first and last names, and some of their siblings and where they went to high school and how they are connected to the relatives/friends/acquaintances of people in the room, which I have totally forgotten because I don't care cut for brevity]. And THEN, another little girl showed up, having a party, who was black, and the black kids get into the pool, and [daughter and other friend] are just having a ball, playing with them, whatever, and then the [whoever] sisters get OUT of the POOL.
Her: [ignoring entire story while drinking champagne punch, with the expression of someone who has heard this story 439754395 times]
Her Mom: So, she YELLS to the [whoevers], HEY WHY DID YOU GET OUT OF THE POOOOOOOOOOOL? And then THEY yell, across the WHOLE ROOM, they yell, Because there are BLACK KIDS in the pool!!!!
At this point, we are all sort of going, "...?" because even for Cincinnati, that's pretty blatant.
Her Mom: So [daughter] just yells back, just as loud, SO WHAT? HUH? And THAT is when I KNEW... I had DONE MY JOB.
I just... okay, so that was like 20 years ago, but... THAT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO. WHAT. WHAT. Let's just hope that Mark Twain remains correct about Cincinnati, I guess...
Her Mom: You know that those kids had messed-up parents. Kids don't just make that stuff up on their own. [sips punch calmly]
Which comedian is it that has that bit about "Don't worry... racists are getting older, and soon they will die out!"?
Let's just hope, is all. Sigh.
One thing I am sure of is that I can't wait to hear my students' responses to tomorrow.
I'm from Cincinnati (motto: "No race riots since 2001!"), a very segregated city. In honor of today, here's an awesome story I heard this weekend.
A friend of mine is getting married in May. She's 26. SAt her shower this weekend, which was full of Catholic moms, there was much discussion of All The Babiez She Will Have, LOL! (She dealt with this quite gracefully.) Anyway, at some point, she said, "Well, if I can't have my own, I'll just adopt."
Her Mom: Oh, so you can finally get a little black baby like you've always wanted!
(She and everyone else at this shower were--wait for it--white.)
Her: Well, yeah, that is an option. I already have a black sister, for all intents and purposes.
(She's been mentoring a first-generation African immigrant brother and sister pair for about three years now, so this is true.)
Her Mom, to everyone else: LET ME TELL YOU A STORY. OKAY. So one year for Christmas, we went to go see Santas at [upscale store in one of the rich white neighborhoods], and there was a big line for the one Santa, but there was also a BLACK Santa, and there are NO black children in [the store]. So [DAUGHTER] felt sad that NOBODY was in line for that Santa, and she said, I want to see THAT Santa! And that's where it ALL started.
Her: ...
Her Mom: I'll tell you another story. We got a hotel room for her birthday when she was five, because when it all comes down to it, it's SO much cheaper to pay $100 and get a sheet cake and let the kids all swim around in the pool and exhaust themselves, so we were there, with [at this point she does a Super West-Side thing, which is name all of the kids at the party, first and last names, and some of their siblings and where they went to high school and how they are connected to the relatives/friends/acquaintances of people in the room, which I have totally forgotten because I don't care cut for brevity]. And THEN, another little girl showed up, having a party, who was black, and the black kids get into the pool, and [daughter and other friend] are just having a ball, playing with them, whatever, and then the [whoever] sisters get OUT of the POOL.
Her: [ignoring entire story while drinking champagne punch, with the expression of someone who has heard this story 439754395 times]
Her Mom: So, she YELLS to the [whoevers], HEY WHY DID YOU GET OUT OF THE POOOOOOOOOOOL? And then THEY yell, across the WHOLE ROOM, they yell, Because there are BLACK KIDS in the pool!!!!
At this point, we are all sort of going, "...?" because even for Cincinnati, that's pretty blatant.
Her Mom: So [daughter] just yells back, just as loud, SO WHAT? HUH? And THAT is when I KNEW... I had DONE MY JOB.
I just... okay, so that was like 20 years ago, but... THAT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO. WHAT. WHAT. Let's just hope that Mark Twain remains correct about Cincinnati, I guess...
Her Mom: You know that those kids had messed-up parents. Kids don't just make that stuff up on their own. [sips punch calmly]
Which comedian is it that has that bit about "Don't worry... racists are getting older, and soon they will die out!"?
Let's just hope, is all. Sigh.