I read this story on Bossip, and I was struck on so many levels. Jill Scott tells the story of a recent racist encounter.
“I was waiting outside for the valet to bring the car round, and these … I say kids, but they must have been 25, looking wealthy, five-o’clock-in-the-morning wasted. And this guy’s saying, ‘Step back nigger, step back nigger.’ He’s saying it like it’s a song, but there’s nobody out there but me. I was taken aback, and I said, ‘Excuse me?’
And he said, ‘Shut your mouth and don’t say a word when a white man is talking.’
“I’m not kidding. I started laughing, and I followed him and his cohorts through the parking lot laughing hysterically, and they became more and more uncomfortable. It was one of the best moments of outrageous laughter I’ve had. To think for one moment I could possibly fit into that box … I am so far from that word that it is funny. They looked so uncomfortable; I wanted to emasculate him, to make sure he was getting no nookie that night. The girls sobered up and were looking scared. It was something else – the first time in my life I’ve been called that. Wow. But I enjoyed it. You must fight back; it’s imperative. I like the fight in me now.â€
You can read the complete interview here.
I like the fight in Jill, too. The story just reinforces my belief that I could never understand the mindset of a racist. That anyone could look at a proud, strong black person and think those thoughts – even worse, actually utter such despicable words – totally blows my mind. It’s just crazy to me that some people still actually believe that the color of their skin gives them any kind of superiority over others. In 2007! It’s just so completely ludicrous.
Like Jill Scott, I have had an extraordinarily charmed life in this regard. Growing up in a country where people of color were the decided majority, then moving to a city that’s a kind of multicultural melting pot, I can honestly say that I haven’t experienced the particular sting of personally directed verbal racism. Miami isn’t exactly the part of Florida where you’re likely to experience something like that – gotta drive up north a bit, I reckon.
The racism I’ve experienced thus far has been more subtle. I get it in the form of baleful glares, insanely ignorant questions and comments (you speak english so well!), and deliberate exclusion. I’ve had people try to make me feel less-than by their actions, but I’ve never had someone dare try to do that with words. And honestly, I’m not exactly sure how I’d react to that.
We’ve come such a long way from the days of civil rights. It wasn’t that long ago at all that white people openly, brazenly calling black people “niggers” was more than commonplace. Back then, there wasn’t an option for response. It wasn’t that long ago when there were segregrated restrooms (hello, Tyson Chicken plant in 2005). What seems so antiquated, so ridiculous, so distant from today’s generation is but a recent memory for some of our older relatives. The statement of this entitled, ignorant, wasted white boy — “Shut your mouth and don’t say a word when a white man is talking,” might have successfully shut my ancestors into silence. In 2007, it’s like a joke — like, wait a minute. You didn’t just seriously say that to me. You’re kidding, right? You better be. Oh, it’s on now.
I’d like to think I’d have grace and presence of mind like Jill did, to simply laugh the racist into shame. But them’s fighting words. Most likely, I’d bust a good old-fashioned Trini cussing on him and escalate the situation. Or worse, I’d be so shocked I wouldn’t know what to say, the moment would pass, and I’d spend the rest of the evening pissed off at myself, coming up with perfectly phrased emasculating comebacks.
Have you ever had someone come at you with that kind of racism before? How did you handle it? How would you respond to Jill Scott’s situation?
The rare overt acts of racism take away from the MORE DAMAGING problem of subtle racism.
When people focus on that stuff, it gives white folk the impetus to say hey, I ‘m not racist! I don’t call anyone a nigger! I don’t put nooses on trees! I can’t be a racist!
Meanwhile…
Every action, every fiber of their being is racist.
Anyway, if I were Jill Scott, I would have whipped out my video phone, Borat-style, and incorporated the clip into a music video. Promote the hell out of it. Inspire hungry reporters to seek the slugs out, shaming them to death.
I was leaving a concert at the Metro walking with a girlfriend a few blocks down the street to a bar that has late-night eats. We walked towards a group of white kids in their early twenties, they were loitering. This guy yelled out “Hey” and gyrated near me. I must have rolled my eyes and given him the gas face. The next thing I hear is “Nigger”. Shocked, all I could muster was a “Fuck You”, but I wished I said more mainly about the size of his member or something to that effect.
When I was 10, I went to Norway with my mom for a month and a half. She had this coworker who’s son was a little strange. He was about 17. We all went to dinner and my mom excused herself to go to the ladies room.
While she was gone, the son just started verbally attacking me and he called me a nigger. I just sat there and stared at my plate of food. I was 10 and he was so much older than me… I didn’t know what to do. Funny thing was that no one at the table, not even his father, said anything to him.
Later, when I told me mom, she went off on him. Like I would do, now.
First off, I luv you’re blog! I’ve been reading for a short while but have never commented. One day my son & I were in the grocery buying cereal; a white woman & her kid were also buying; her kid picked the cereal box w/Michael Jordan on it & his mother said (in a very disgusted tone) “don’t get that one, honey; we don’t want to have to look at “that” everyday”. So I kindly pushed my way in front her & put my box (w/the white person on it) back on the shelf right in her face & said to my son “let’s get the one with M.J. on it, honey – we wouldn’t want to have to look @ some useless, untalented white jack-ass everyday.” Probably was immature on my part, but I wasn’t giving her the satisfaction, you know? 🙂
When i was in elementary school one of my white classmates attempted to call me the ‘N’ word ,but she only got the nig out before i slapped the ger back down her throat.
I’m glad you brought attention to this Bella! It makes me so sick when people try to whitewash eveything and make it seem as racism dosen’t exist. It always turns into a black people are too sensitive issue rather than people confronting the real racial matters at hand. Jill’s experience reminds us once again that racism is alive, well, and quite overt!
Bella:
I am an Afro-Brazilian woman living in Philadelphia. I’ve lived in the United States for most of my adult life. I grew up in New York City and until I moved to the City of Brotherly Love, where Jill Scott is from, I had never known what it was like to be called a nigger. Oh, I’ve received the looks and all that comes with that, but never to my face.
As I was waiting to cross the street right in front of the Liberty Bell, a shout came from a passing car Yo(how appropriate for Philly)…Nigger Bitch! It was done in the most typical way…a yell from a passing car. I was rattled, angry, my hands in tight little fists. I wanted to catch up to them and pop them in the mouth. Then I saw my reflection in a store window and had to stop and take a breath or two. I will not let anyone define me and take me out of sorts. I am not a nigger, never have been and never will.
Xaida
I absolutely love Jill’s attitude. We are ALL so far from that! I am so far above that because I stand on the shoulders of those powerhouses that came before me. We all need to realize that we are the strongest of the strong. We are the dream. 🙂
XXX
Your post is timely, Afrobella, because I’ve been reading a lot lately about some of the unsung black women heroines of the 60s who were the organizational and administrative talents behind the black student protests of the 60s.
Women like Ruby Doris Smith Robinson out of Spelman College and Diane Nash out of Fisk University, both privotal members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) who repeatedly returned to lunch counters that refused to serve them, kept their composure in the face of racial slurs and being spat upon, and allowed themselves to be hauled off to jail (with sanitary napkins stuffed down in their socks, just in case).
These young women with their nappy afros and stubborn courage never lost sight of the large prize: namely a day in the future when a black woman like Jill Scott would be able to laugh in the face of drunk white kids when they call her a nigger, and a day when you and I as black women could write about not having any firsthand experience of being overtly racially discriminated against in America.
when i was in law school some of the neighborhood racists spraypainted swasticas on my house. of course i filled a police report but i refused to remove them myself. i wanted my neighbors and the world to see them and to see that i was not afraid or intimidated. one of my neighbors apologized in tears that this could happen in “our” neighborhood. one day they just disappeared just like they arrived, out of nowhere. some of my good neighbors had quietly and silently painted over them in solidarity.
and yes, i have been called the “n” word and had whites try to run me off of the road. i too have laughed that hysterical laugh when some teenagers yelled “spook” at me when i was pumping gas. i mean how old is that term!
Laughing hysterically works in many cases because folks will think youre mentally ill, and no one wants to mess with the mentally ill, lol.
L
Much like Jill Scott I probably would have reacted the same..Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never ever hurt me. In one ear and out the other. I am an intelligent, sophisticated, strong and elegant African American woman. I personify all that is beautiful and graceful and with that being said, I pass the mic on!
While I applaud Jill’s response, the couple of times it’s happened to me in adulthood, I’ve been careful to not say anything back. It’s been instances where I’ve been by myself and I’ve figured that if someone is mentally and spiritually ill enough to call me that, who knows what else they might be inclined to do. I don’t want to end up being a female James Byrd, you know?
These racist clowns are shocked that it’s no longer their grandfathers racism. I had someone write the words ‘nigger bitch’ outside my dorm room years ago. I left it there, and above it I wrote on a bigger sign ‘If you have anything to say, say it to my face and stop being terrified to confront someone you want to think is inferior to you.” I never had any more trouble. I’m so proud of Jill’s reaction to this moron, and for everyone else here who has posted their comments as well. We are truly a remarkable people that we have persevered through this nonsense.
As a side note, Jill’s hair and make-up look fabulous in that picture on Bossip. How can we find out what her regime is? I can’t find a foundation to properly match my complection to save my life.
XXX
Reading this pissed me off. I liked the way Jill handled it. I’ve never personally had any racial confrontations until recently. My husband and I went to visit a friend who lives in North Carolina. On the way back we made a gas & potty stop off 95. I went to the store to use the bathroom while my husband gassed up. Well as I was approaching the door a man held it open for me. I didn’t even get all the way in and the attendant behing the counter jumped up and snatched the door closed and said the store is closed for the night. I was like excuse me, you just had a customer walk out and he sort of pushed me out of the way and said “we closed” then proceeded to lock the door. Mind you it was only 9:30. I was so upset. I never had anything like that happen to me. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Its upsetting to know people still behave this way.
Growing up in Mississippi, I had a white, male classmate in elementary school who routinely called me “nigger” and told me to “go back where I came from” whenever I outdid him in playground races – which was often. Several years later, I was home from college and working in a local drug store when he came in with his date, trying to buy beer. He and I were the same age (19); I got the satisfaction of taking his fake ID and embarrassing him in front of other customers.
Unfortunately, I’ve been called that several times during adulthood and everywhere from the South, to the Northeast, to Europe.
Oh, Europe! Nicole, you done conjured up some memories of sweet Italy, such a lovely place but very racially tense as well. In the Spring of 2003 I was still in college and studying abroad in Rome at the UW Rome Study Center. I was the only African American in our group of Asian, and Caucasian class mates. As we toured some of the local museums the fools I was traveling with (and I use the term lovingly) began to pretend to be the arms of the statutes that no longer had any, put sunglasses and hats on the busts, and stand on the platforms where the full body statues were and give them dap.
After 2-3 minutes the staff came in and they were very short , especially with me… I assumed that they thought we were all ignorant American students, until I went into the next room, which had a monitor that clearly captured my position FAR away from my unruly class mates. I shrugged it of and went to the next exhibit, and the next, and the next and then I noticed that I was slowly gaining a following that looked in the other direction when I tried to make eye contact. There was probably 3-5 staff in each room that I visited. After 30 minutes or so you would have thought that they would have stopped, but they continued and after a while I enjoyed going back to the same room again and again just so they would have to follow me. After 45 minutes I walked up to the woman who had scattered my class mates (none of whom were being followed when they were together, but were all followed when they went to an exhibit with me) and asked her if she needed to speak to me. She said nothing, so I asked again. Finally I told her that she knew I had nothing to do with the students that had messed with the busts. She told me that if I started trouble she’d call the police, her co worker said that I had been there long enough and that there was nothing left of the exhibit for me to see.
I checked my self real quick case I did not need to catch a case in Rome… later I found out that there are supposedly people of African ancestry in that area that also sport short fros that conflict with local business owners on a regular basis.
sigh…see, this is why i love jill. being the queen she is, jill laughed the idiot into retreat. me? i have anger issues that i’m still workin’ on…even as i type this, i can feel the east side of Detroit bubbling over in my soul…who knows what would have happened, had it been me.
a screaming retort, perhaps.
an unrelenting backhand, maybe. just imagining it feels good.
why not gather the troops for an old fashioned bumrush? if i had a following like jill does, i’m sure it wouldn’t be hard.
but naw…all that’s too easy…and it would prove them right.
we are what we answer to.
jill laughed him out of his comfort zone and his manhood – in front of his crew (lol)…kudos to ms. scott for takin’ the high road.
I have never had any racial problems in Rome. We’ll see what happens with my natural hair wearing self when I move there next year. After what I’ve been through in the States I’m ready for anything.
All through jr. high and high school I heard that word often which why I don’t use it as a term of endearment now. I don’t think we can “reclaim” the word. I don’t believe in censorship and really how can you ban a word? I think young people (wow I sound old) need to know the history of that word then maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to use it all the time. I don’t know of any other ethnic groups who use a hateful slur to refer to each other. Please.
Good for Jill.
There is also the flip side of this: how do you deal with a blatant racist when you are white. A dozen women in my family were standing around talking about a cousin’s crush on Tiger Woods. One cousin in her mid-20s piped up with her view: “I don’t understand what she sees in him. So he can play golf. So what. He’s just another little n—-.”
Two generations of women stood stock still, silent. Shocked. And then the silence dragged on. A minute. Three. Five. Ten. The speaker looked around, frantically. Everyone turned away, looked at the ground or away from the speakers’ eyes. No one would rescue her.
I felt attacked. I felt shamed. I felt dirty. And none of this woman’s ire was directed at me.
While I wish I had come up with the words to express my outrage — my fury that someone my own age could think this was acceptable, particularly any kin of mine — I have to say, the silence was deep, eloquent, and clearer than any other reproach could have been. Sometimes shunning works. But only if it comes from people the shunned party wished to be around.
What a blessing that Lady Jill would share with us this encounter. We must continue to be strong and make sure that we know that we are a beautiful and divine people, no matter what “their” opinion is. We have the power and their #1 objective is to steal that and undermine the beauty that is us. We must remember though that hate must not dwell in us, only love and spirituality. God has made us a great people.
-Z’maji @ hauteblogxoxo.wordpress.com
Several years ago I was walking around downtown on Market St. in SF minding my own business. From a short distance I hear somebody talking loudly, turns out white guy was talking to himself but loud enough to get the attention of folks around him. Immediately I thought crazy guy coming down the street. Then I heard the following “You look at me and think that I’m a Mexican, but I’m not.” “I look at you and you’re nothing but a n-.” At that point I made direct eye contact with him. My eyes got big, but I had nothing to say because normally I don’t have an immediate comeback, and also it would have not been worth it getting into with some dood with obvious mental issues. Of course it’s crazy when somebody randomly feels the need to toss out racial epithets, but this guy undeniably crazy. I just kept walking and thought to myself, “you’re lucky I’m not a black guy.” People around me had looks of surprise on their faces.
1987: Academic advisor at school told me not to apply to law school because it would be too difficult for me. Said the same thing to other black girl-friends at that school who are now lawyers, doctors, epidemiologists, urban planners, executives. Whatever. Summer of 1989 in NYC – upon boarding a bus on the West Side Broadway line going uptown towards Harlem, the bus driver announced, “ladies watch your bags.” First black person on the bus. Was steaming mad. Summer of 1995 in Little Italy, NYC, my white, Hispanic, Jewish and Asian coworkers and I were coming back from lunch when a homeless person yelled, “I hate niggers!” and kept following me. No one said anything – absolute silence. These were the same persons who were ACLU liberals, feminists, supporters of Israel, et cetera, et cetera. The silence was worse than the crazy person. It was as if it never happened. Since then, lots of crazy looks; following around stores; inspecting returns for wear; triple checking IDs and announcing prices of goods at registers. Just remembered more. 1990: interviewing for internships on campus, I notice that interviewer has a “B” next to the names of myself and black classmates who interviewed befor me. Asked what it stood for – turned red and erased it. Told career office and had that company’s invitation for campus interviews revoked. 1994 while in graduate school, president of university and major donors are walking around school with a photographer. Sees husband in hallway, president walks up to him, throws his arm around him, smiles, the photographer takes photo, and president walks off. Never says a word to husband. President is now a highly positioned person in a federal agency. Fall of 1996 in MA: student walks in to office and asks for Professor X, my husband, as he sits in his office working. Name is on door, diplomas on wall, et cetera. He says, “oh, Prof. X is down the hall.” Student trots off and then sheepishly returns. Husband glares at student, who is bright red. Very polite after that encounter. Spring of 2000: waiting in examing room for doctor, substituting for my primary care physician. Male doctor walks in, looks at paperwork and me, then says excuse me. Comes back in and says, “oh, I was expecting a middle-aged white woman.” Never returned to that entire practice. Fall of 2004, waiting at classroom podium for technical assistance. Obvious place for faculty; appropriately dressed. Tech walks up and asks me about the whereabouts of the professor. Fall of 2005, in a restaurant with husband. Old white man walks over, squeezes my husband’s biceps and says, “young fella, if you were on my team when I was coaching, I would have won the championship.” He gets a variation of this over and over again because of his physical stature – the big, black man. (E.g., while a member of a workshop on academic affairs in MA that met several times, a trustee of the university told him that he did not know he was a faculty member, he thought he was a “very smart football player”). Spring of 2006 at a UVa reunion – 2 sets of carloads of students yelled nigger out the window as my husband and I walked to a reunion event. Supposedly, it’s a common practice at UVa. Whatever. Was angry in the early encounters, not so much later on, as it kept happening over and over. Now, just bemused that an idiot could think that they could harm us emotionally by saying nigger. I’m remembering more encounters, but the post would just be too long. Sometimes I say something snarky, other times I just keep moving. Depends on whether I feel safe enough to say something, or whether it is just pointless. But I do not internalize it.
As I read your post, I immediately went back to being about 10 years old…My younger brother and I were playing outside with our so-called “pal” Bobby – a white neighbor who lived across the street — and I don’t remember what set him off (we were probably playing tag, and he got out or something!). But I just remember him getting mad and calling us “N” word. I am mixed – white/Jewish and black. And I just remember my brother and running inside and telling our white/Jewish mama what he said. It didn’t feel right hearing that word; I wasn’t exactly sure at the time what it meant. But I knew it was a mean word for black people…and I couldn’t understand how a so-called friend or neighbor all of a sudden treated us less than human. As if he was making an exception playing with us, maybe because we are light-skinned? The next thing I knew, my mom ran across the street to his mom and yelled at his mom for having a kid who would use that word. I think Bobby’s mother was shocked because she was white too. She had a “huh?” look on her face. Yes, not only blacks are offended by that word lady, I’m sure my mom tried to explain…that was the last time I heard it directed at me. A few other friends have uttered that word or “niya” or whatever around me, and those people I can barely remember their names cause I don’t associate myself with them anymore…Amazing that 2007 does still carry such hate and ignorance…you’re totally right.
Great post. Made me go back.
great psot, i love jill scott…even more now. as i said before its one of the reasons i’ve always opted to stay in my island. ‘ve grown accustomed to the classism here…i dont want to have to shift gears to deal with racism!
I LOVE Jill Scott!!!! I’m listening to all of her music right now in my car. She is so good at articulating her thoughts and emotions that we all can relate to. i wonder if would have been as poised as to know to laugh at the idiot and his friends. Those kind of moments tend to catch me off guard and like Afrobella suggested, I wonder if “I’d spend the rest of the evening pissed off at myself, coming up with perfectly phrased emasculating comebacks.”
@F. Green: thanks for sharing your all-too-frequent examples of blatant foolishness. Isn’t it amazing that some of the most rude and ridiculous crap occurs in and by those of “academia”?!! The supposed bastion of enlightenment and critical thinking. It’s so stupid that sometimes all you can do is laugh.
In my first job at a small univeristy in Houston, I was once asked by a “well-meaning” White woman to talk to one of her employees (a sister) about some of her behaviors (read: loud) and attendance (read: lateness). I didn’t know what to say? This woman was really earnest and felt comfortable asking me to do that becuase I am “safe” [I’ve always been considered a “safe Negress” (LOL) by white people.] I didn’t do it, of course, but I can’t reme,mber how I got out of it. i think I told her that I didn’t feel comfortable speaking to a peer of mine with whom i only have casual interactions and don’t even work in the same office, all true. But i wish I had told her how inappropriate it was for her to ask me to do something like that. I doubt she would have even grasped WHY it was wrong for her to ask me, but I should have told her nonetheless….
irie diva, your island has a good bit of sexism, colorism and general foolishness in addition to classism. as everywhere.
go ahead jill.
I’ve never had anything like this happen to me. I’ve had white people I thought were friends attempt to insinuate that affirmative action was responsible for some academic success I had. Then they wondered why I basically cut them off. Well gee….
I like how Jill handled it. I’da followed him, filmed him, and blasted him all over Youtube, complained to house of blues management and made sure he never got in again.
I’m glad you wrote about this here at AfroBella because I hadn’t heard about this insane, racist encounter that Jill Scott endured. I am appalled, but not completely shocked that someone would say such disgusting words to one of my fellow “brown” sisters. That’s why I try to tell the younger people in my family how hideous and disgusting the “N” word is and that we should NEVER think of uttering it to a loved one or anyone for that matter. I wish we could bury the hateful word once and for all. Nonetheless, it still won’t eradicate people’s racists views, but at least it would be a step in the right direction.
To No Thank You and any other well-meaning white person reading this:
The only way race relations are going to improve in this country is when WHITE people challenge their fellow whites on their racist thinking, and do it in loud, obvious ways that actively demonstrate their intolerance of racism. Yes, of course we all should challenge racism when we hear it, no matter who it’s coming from or who’s being directed towards, but only when whites ACT UP and ACT OUT against racism will there be real change that people of color will feel and respond to. Whites often think that color-blindess is enough, but it’s not: There needs to be increased awareness of how white privilege puts people of color at a disadvantage (and that’s putting it VERY mildly) in this country, and how a country that was largely founded on white privilege continues to keep the American dream from becoming a reality for all its citizens. Unfortunately most whites are far too comfortable with the status quo, and that’s why in 2007 there’s still a gulf of distrust.
If you haven’t already heard of Tim Wise and the antiracism movement, I strongly suggest you Google him.
To the question of what I would have done in Jill Scott’s place: Unfortunately I would have probably cussed him out, driving up my blood pressure in the process and shortening my life span as a result. (
Another item of note to white folks: There’s a REASON why black Americans have a higher rate of high blood pressure than white Americans…and it’s not all because of genetics.)
I’ve been reading the ladies comments and I would have to say that if someone called me “nigger” I’d probably be so shocked that I would laugh it off or something….But Jilly handled it well cause at the end of the day she knows who she is and who her spirit is.
Plus real racism is within America’s power structure… so that ignorant kid who called Jilly the n-word is a small fry…
i think a lot of people need to realise that its not what just peole say to u but its also how u handle it.
i think jill handled it in a mature manner, but i dont think starting a fight or cussing someone who has been racist to u is the best way to handle it. sometimes u just have to walk away, ignore it or if ur going to respond the do so in an intelligent manner.
they already think ur stupid, loud, rude, inarticulate- so by shouting ur just making them look good. i think this applies to all argumentative situations and not just ones relating to race.
and yes i understand that it is incredibly painful to be treated differently because of the color of ur skin, its probably one of the most painful things any human can encounter.
I’ve had people call me the N word before. It’s hurtful and ignorant, and it seems like at the end of the day , no matter what shade of brown you are or what race (I’m Hispanic), you’re still a “n*gga”. It’s unfortunate that people out there still feel the need to try to degrade others with hurtful words, just to make their own lives seem better. It takes a low, petty individual to say something like that, and that’s why when I hear stuff like that I just laugh it off. I’m not going to waste my time shouting back, getting angry, and trying to educate ignorant people on the street. Just because I’m brown, it should be my job to educate every ignorant individual I come across.
LBellatrix, Tim Wise came to speak at my school (Colby College, Maine) last semester. He caused a bit of controversy among the students here. Keep in mind, 85% of them are WASPs.
Correction: “it shouldn’t be my job…”
“Hate on me” – thank you Ms. Scott for putting it out there, should be the Black woman’s, or at least Oprah’s, anthem. Love you always, what would we do without you.
Oddly enough, I don’t think that laughing in the face of racism in this form is all that difficult – relatively speaking. The more difficult stance for us as black women, or at least for me, would be laughing or somehow confronting the overtly misogynistic words that come out of the mouths of our “brothers” each and every day. When we attack racisms, somehow it feels like everyone is on the same page, and you know that the “community” has your back. When we fight misogyny, which we see more often(how many of us have not been called a bitch in a malicious tone?) and are also more likely to see the accompanying hate crime (who hasn’t been or doesn’t know someone who’s been the victim of rape or abuse), it is more difficult to muster the same courage to fight it out loud. Why is that?
I hope she made him feel like an idiot.
I have been called a nigger about five times in my life. It happened not in Kentucky or Missouri or Texas or Ohio or North Florida visiting relatives, but in my hometown of Miami, FL and right here in Brooklyn, where I now live.
Each time I was stunned and rendered speechless. Each time all I saw were my fists hitting mouth, eyes, throat, jaws… whatever. My spit flying from my mouth and landing in the offender’s eyes. I’m grateful I was always in the company of someone who could keep me moving, keep me walking away.
I am one of those people what can never be comfortable with that word, that will always feel anger and hurt each time it is aimed at me or at someone I know. I know who I am, but I am angered that others do not know who they are, and that they seek themselves by attacking people on the grounds of their identity.
Omgosh!! Jill is my Gurrrrl!! Ever since I saw her live at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ back in 2005, I’ve been in some seriously serioud “Love” with the woman’s talents & abilities. Beautiful Black Woman.
This just makes me so angry. maybe I’m naive because I’m young and maybe because I’m white, but I have never been able to understand the mindset of racists. I have never had the urge to call anyone a nigger, and can not understand how anyone could want to. Are they trying to hurt that person or make themselves feel better? I just think that nigger can be such a hurtful word, I can’t imagine reacting the way that Jill did is someone call me a guinea (I’m Italian). I don’t understand how people can hate so blindly.
Miss Mckinzie Says: November 27th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
When i was in elementary school one of my white classmates attempted to call me the ‘N’ word ,but she only got the nig out before i slapped the ger back down her throat.
Bwahahaha! I don’t advocate violence, but that was damn funny.
I grew up in small-town NE Arkansas. Too many N-word and racist stories to recount. Plus, that would take away my good energy. To the racists? F*ck ’em. They can’t steal my shine.
Never dealt with racism to that blunt of a degree. It’s more subtle in these parts (California). I’ve got the: “You speak so well!” and since I’ve gone natural, white people can’t seem to keep thier hands out of my hair and are so damn curious about it.
Its tough to deal with the overt racism, which I was confronted with often as a child — but the support of my parents and their willingness to fight Has always made me hold my head high.
But it is the subtle racisms and the folks that want to act like black folks are just overly sensitive that kill me. They just don’t see it and I wish there was a way to bring it to light.
On two separate occasions while waiting for an elevator, I’ve had white males say to me the elevator was full. I can not imagine this would have happened if I were with my spouse or if I were male. It felt very disrespectful and racists. Both times I was staying at a hotel on business and traveling alone. There seemed to be something behind this other than a crowded elevator. It may seem trivial but to me it was a way of putting a young professional female of color in her place.
Arise, Oh LORD! And show Your enemies Your Holy Power! Let those who have been held spiritually captive be set free! In Jesus name I pray and give thanks! Amen
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