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user-inactivated  ·  3186 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: A Conversation With White People on Race

My upbringing sounds somewhat similar to InfernalFangirl's, and early on in my adult life I thought I was pretty racially tolerant, open-minded. I could never take seriously people who made excuses for how their lives were, blaming everything on their skin color. Running commentary in my head was: you know what?, I've been through hell and back, suffered through the absolute dregs of society, crushing poverty, etc, etc, but I decided to be a better person, to not perpetuate the cycle, to make different choices, and if it was that easy for me, then what was other minorities' excuse?

Then I found myself in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn one afternoon. Had gone off on a walk, as I was wont to do, striking out in strange, new directions. 40 blocks later, I realized I hadn't seen any white people in some time. In fact, I was the only white person in a sea of black people. I noticed people looking at me funny, pointing me out. I finally found a bar, needed a drink and to rest my feet, opened the door, and every single person in that bar was black, and they all stopped, turned in my direction, with openly hostile eyes. The black bartender was dismissive, like I didn't exist, told me that I wasn't allowed to drink there unless I paid double what everyone else in the bar was paying, making it very clear that I wasn't welcome there.

That afternoon made me see "white privilege" and race relations in a new light. Suddenly, I saw things from a new point of view, and realized I didn't know as much as I'd thought I did. That experience gave me the tiniest glimpse of what some black people say is daily routine for them.