(to whites on here) have you personally been in racist situations?

[Anonymous]

I'm white, and my husband is black. His family doesn't accept me as "one of us." In their eyes, I will always be an outsider. I do like them, and my husband is truly part of my extended family.

Also, I was once the only white nurse's aide in a nursing home. The other women were all Haitian immigrants or African-American. They simply wouldn't talk with me or work with me. In this work, it goes much better if you can team up and help each other out with lifting people, making beds, etc. But they just wouldn't help me or allow me to help them. The Haitian women would always sit in the break room talking in Creole and completely leave me out. There were a few who were decent to me. But if they were not working that day, it was very lonely. It was many years ago, and I'm over the anger of it by now. But it did have a huge effect on me. I never want to treat anyone like they treated me, for any reason.

[Anonymous]

No. Not against me as a white person. I have worked in predominantly black workplaces (Baltimore City Jail for example). Was never discriminated against or treated poorly.

Saw some horrible discrimination against blacks though, both by whites in positions of power and by other blacks, usually dealing with skin color issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was a new mom (read: young and only had one kid/still very green) I signed up for a "Mom and Tots" class. My very tall and big 2 year old snatched a toy out of a girls hand and swatted at her. I was mortified and had him apologize and took him out of the class for a time out. When we re-entered everyone was like "no big deal we've all been there" and it was ok. That night I got a call from the little girls father (keep in mind her mother was in the class and said nothing to me) telling me he didn't work hard his whole life just for his daughter to accept beatings from white men. He told me that he is sickened that I encourage my son to beat black women. I was literally dumbfounded. It made me feel terrible and horrible for YEARS.

Somebody had a chip on their shoulder! Jeez. When you are referring to 2 year olds as "men" and "women," you've already gone off the rails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, reverse racism at work. I realize that "racism" I experience as a white woman is not the same think as real racism. But being judged & attacked in part because of your race ... Well, nobody likes that, no matter your color.

How is it not the same? It may not be the same on an institutional level, but the effect remains the same at the personal level.

[youngblackdude]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. About 17 years ago, when Barry was still mayor, I was stopped by a DC cop allegedly for making an illegal right turn on red. I say "allegedly" because I was very familiar with the intersection, which allowed right on red turns from the major street (from which I was turning) but not the intersecting minor side street. But yet there was the sign, turned and a bit askew, as if it had been turned by someone or perhaps something to face the major street. When I pointed it out to the MPD officer he said "Shut up, or I'll do what I'd like to do." When I asked what that was, he (who was black) said "take your white ass to jail." I was shocked. I thought later about filing a complaint against the officer and taking the ticket to court, but MPD in those days was notoriously fickle (lots of recruits in the Barry era got hired even after multiple fails of the police exam), as was the DC government. I even considered moving out of the city, but decided to stay once Mayor Williams came in and things really started to improve.

Lol@"take your white ass to jail"..you're the first white person I've seen say something about police brutality I must admit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot be racist against a white person, so this whole thread is kind of moot.

Please explain how the situations described here do not adhere to #3:


rac·ism
[rey-siz-uhm]
noun

1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

[youngblackdude]

Anonymous wrote:I'm white, and my husband is black. His family doesn't accept me as "one of us." In their eyes, I will always be an outsider. I do like them, and my husband is truly part of my extended family.

Also, I was once the only white nurse's aide in a nursing home. The other women were all Haitian immigrants or African-American. They simply wouldn't talk with me or work with me. In this work, it goes much better if you can team up and help each other out with lifting people, making beds, etc. But they just wouldn't help me or allow me to help them. The Haitian women would always sit in the break room talking in Creole and completely leave me out. There were a few who were decent to me. But if they were not working that day, it was very lonely. It was many years ago, and I'm over the anger of it by now. But it did have a huge effect on me. I never want to treat anyone like they treated me, for any reason.

Like the other person who said they overlook white people jokes you also seem like a mentally strong person@ not holding grudges against husband's family when they say you're not apart of they family

[Anonymous]

[quote=youngblackdude]Speaking about outside.has it been situations where you personally have been in racist situations .so much focus on us I'm wondering what people from other races situations was like .[/quote]
Not exactly sure what you mean - racist situations as in being discriminated against or as in witnessing racist behavior?

I've experienced both. I've certainly met my share of people who don't like white folks and tend to blame us for all the world's ills, and I've been treated poorly in minority-run establishments, presumably for the same reasons. It's obnoxious, but it's hard to bitch about it too much when you stop to think how the deck really is stacked in our favor in almost every aspect of modern American life.

I've also witnessed it, of course, though the vast majority of people I know are not (consciously) biased against blacks. However, when I was in college in Oregon in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a LOT of anti-asian racism there (still is AFAIK). I told off several acquaintances over the years for casually using the term "Gook" in otherwise polite conversation.

[Anonymous]

My husband's research assistant was AA and we were asked to the church ceremony but not to the reception. Husband learned that no white colleagues were invited to the reception.

[Anonymous]

I am half white (and look white). I was once surrounded by a group of white college kids who were saying horrible things about another race of which I am half (the other half). It was horrible. I ended up telling them off and transferring colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am half white (and look white). I was once surrounded by a group of white college kids who were saying horrible things about another race of which I am half (the other half). It was horrible. I ended up telling them off and transferring colleges.

Oh wait did you mean experiencing racism as a white person? I am 99% sure this doesn't occur. I think white people read "social slights" as racism.

[youngblackdude]

Question was have whites on here experienced racism from other races....

[Anonymous]

I've seen it, but not often. My experience was from a DC cop, too. Basically, he allowed a cab driver to physically assault me because he didn't like white girls who acted snobby. (I guess calling the cops when a cab driver punches you was "snobby".)
Could have taken it further, sued, etc., but it seemed so futile and pointless and I was just starting a new job and afraid to take time off.
Generally, I feel like if you're friendly and respectful to people, they're fine with you regardless of what their personal biases might be. That's probably not true of white-on-black racism.

[Anonymous]

Someone I was seeing lived in petworth in the early 2000s and was spit on at the bus stop and told to get out of the neighborhood. I assume things have changed as more gentrification has happened.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I've been called a "honky".