Submitted by Mygrandma257
In recent days, I’ve become aware (among my circle of friends) of two separate accounts of the issue of racism in two different domains: the corporate environment and housing. This got me thinking about the media-driven conversation about a post-racial America. Here are the two stories that were brought to my attention.
A friend recently pointed out that in his office, there is a disparity when it comes to the positions people of color occupy. Most minorities there can be found in the mail room with very little representation in other departments or in management ranks. I was quite surprised at this observation as I had thought this was something of the past–I remember seeing this in the 1980s and now some 30 years later this appears to be still the case? For all I know, at a national level this has been corrected. However, for it to exist in a major and liberal metropolis like New York City suggests otherwise. Another friend, quite successful financially, who considers himself a citizen of the world, was purchasing some property and encountered a few uncommon roadblocks during the purchase process. So surprising was this experience for quite a straightforward transaction, a white colleague of his wondered out loud if the hitch he described had anything to do with bigotry. When these situations of apparent institutionalized racism are juxtaposed against the ongoing discussion of a post-racial (I prefer to think of it as post-racist) America–a common theme in the media these days especially since the election of America’s first black president Barack Obama–I’d say the notion of a post-racist America is still a concept.
Personally I have not directly experienced or been aware of racism in my direction. Maybe I have been naive to it or maybe I have ignored it. Whatever the case, I have been black all my life and recognize this simply as a difference in skin pigmentation, not a difference in terms of being human which, last time I checked is something ‘we’ all share.
While the idea of a post-racist America might be a premature reality, the fact that it is being discussed is bringing awareness to the issue of bigotry. And, it is only through awareness that the boogie man behind the curtain can be revealed for what it really is — racism reflects our fears of the unknown. It’s time to face our fears and knock them down to size so we can see our collective humanity and celebrate our diversity.
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