Read on Twitter
Thread
(watch the video first if you haven't seen it). https://twitter.com/SykesCharlie/status/1265845774153383941
(watch the video first if you haven't seen it). https://twitter.com/SykesCharlie/status/1265845774153383941
When I lived in the Americas it would happen that I'm with a white person, but say that person is on their porch and I'm outside or say they are in a car and I'm on the street...
Well in this situation say a black man approached me for change or directions or whatever...
Well in this situation say a black man approached me for change or directions or whatever...
Afterwards I would join my white friend or family member, and they would say "what did he/they want? You have to be careful."
Often the person asking would not be someone who is particularly racist*. They vote left / liberal, never talk bad about people of color, teach their kids to treat everybody equally, etc.
I suppose I am lucky to have grown up around people of different races so that if I see a black person who dresses like a rapper I don't see someone who might want to harm me, I see someone who looks like people that I grew up with.
I see people who I've worked with, people who I've been close to, people who I've gone on vacation with, people who I've shared hours and days and months and years with.
A lot of people don't see that when they see someone of a different race. That doesn't make them evil racists but they are afraid of a stereotype simply because they haven't known any prototypes.
Mind you when I say this happened the Americas (USA & VZLA) it's because these societies are more violent, not because people are necessarily more racist than in some of the other countries I lived.
In Europe people are racist as well, but there is less street crime than in the States (and a LOT less than in Venezuela) so I don't get the "be careful."
But the point is, every person is A PERSON. It's sad to see a black man feel like he needs to explain why he is just as human as a white person.
This is not to say my mind is free of racism bc, hence the asterisk earlier, nobody is 0% racist. But ask yourself if you are always afraid of people of a certain color and attire, maybe, and I sincerely don't know how, but maybe you should try and do something about that fear.
