More Ignorance
Today I had another holiday luncheon at work. I had to forgo the salmon I had my eyes on b/c it was $19 and everyone else was opting for the cheaper entrees like soups and sangies. So I settled for the chicken pesto flatbread which was really life changing in 20 different ways. Anyway, the conversation somehow got to this one girl's hair and how "perfect" it was (it was nice, to be honest). She proceeded to tell us this story on how she learned how to take care of her hair.
She's from TX, like edge of OK, and her neighborhood was really segregated. Naturally, all of the schools in her area were really segregated b/c no whites lived near blacks and vice versa. But a law passed and all of the schools were forced to integrate so she had to get bussed to another school across town which had predominately African American students. Here's where things got ugly.
She described her hair as naturally "nappy" so it wasn't until she befriended some black kids that she learned how to manage her hair b/c their moms introduced her to coconut cream. And I quote, "So now I know how to buy coconut cream from the COLORED hair aisle!"
She did not mean colored as in treated w/dye. She meant black people.
For the love of the non-existent god, I am serious.
She could have said "black" or "ethnic" or "African American" but she said COLORED! I think a few other people noticed and there were some uncomfortable glances around the table but... what the fuck, right?
And then another lady later asked, "So... what else did they teach you?" As in, did those black mothers teach you anything else? What did she want to hear in response? Breakdancing? Double dutch? Slam dunking basketballs? She replied, "Oh, I know how to braid now."
Is it me or are my current coworkers extra oblivious and ignorant about racism and race relations?
Speaking of ignorance, this is not related but I encountered a woman who was ignorant about hygiene in the women's room this afternoon. While I was finishing up my number dos, I heard someone brushing their teeth. I didn't think anything of it until I came out of the bathroom and no one was at the sinks! So I glanced behind me and it turned out that the woman in the stall next to mine was BRUSHING HER TEETH WHILE TAKING A SHIT AT THE SAME TIME!!! I know she was taking a shit b/c I heard her poots and I know she was brushing her teeth b/c I could see her arm doing the brushing motions in b/w the slats of the bathroom door. Yeah I looked b/c I was freaking out and really confused and grossed out at the same time! Plus, the sound of a toothbrush is really unmistakable. When I was drying my hands I heard her put her toothbrush down on what I assumed was the TP holder and then she started wiping her dirty butt. Can you believe that?! I mean, talk about canceling out your dental hygiene by brushing on the toilet where caca germs are roaming free! Unbelievable.
She's from TX, like edge of OK, and her neighborhood was really segregated. Naturally, all of the schools in her area were really segregated b/c no whites lived near blacks and vice versa. But a law passed and all of the schools were forced to integrate so she had to get bussed to another school across town which had predominately African American students. Here's where things got ugly.
She described her hair as naturally "nappy" so it wasn't until she befriended some black kids that she learned how to manage her hair b/c their moms introduced her to coconut cream. And I quote, "So now I know how to buy coconut cream from the COLORED hair aisle!"
She did not mean colored as in treated w/dye. She meant black people.
For the love of the non-existent god, I am serious.
She could have said "black" or "ethnic" or "African American" but she said COLORED! I think a few other people noticed and there were some uncomfortable glances around the table but... what the fuck, right?
And then another lady later asked, "So... what else did they teach you?" As in, did those black mothers teach you anything else? What did she want to hear in response? Breakdancing? Double dutch? Slam dunking basketballs? She replied, "Oh, I know how to braid now."
Is it me or are my current coworkers extra oblivious and ignorant about racism and race relations?
Speaking of ignorance, this is not related but I encountered a woman who was ignorant about hygiene in the women's room this afternoon. While I was finishing up my number dos, I heard someone brushing their teeth. I didn't think anything of it until I came out of the bathroom and no one was at the sinks! So I glanced behind me and it turned out that the woman in the stall next to mine was BRUSHING HER TEETH WHILE TAKING A SHIT AT THE SAME TIME!!! I know she was taking a shit b/c I heard her poots and I know she was brushing her teeth b/c I could see her arm doing the brushing motions in b/w the slats of the bathroom door. Yeah I looked b/c I was freaking out and really confused and grossed out at the same time! Plus, the sound of a toothbrush is really unmistakable. When I was drying my hands I heard her put her toothbrush down on what I assumed was the TP holder and then she started wiping her dirty butt. Can you believe that?! I mean, talk about canceling out your dental hygiene by brushing on the toilet where caca germs are roaming free! Unbelievable.