Comments on: Carnival time in old Mobile

By: World Traveler

World Traveler — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:28:58 +0000

I believe that what’s at the heart of this need to believe that there is no racism/sexism is the deep rooted belief that the priviledge class of whites/men can determine how much is enough for women and PoC. Those of the privileged class have always been brought up to believe that the world is theirs – and that anything we PoC and Women get is what is theirs to share. So you get this attitude among white men [and some PoC] that as long as PoC have access to education and good jobs, we should be doing our happy dance – to complain about promotions and fair access to training and other parts of life’s ammenities is akin to being ungrateful. Well that bull gets old – and ridiculous. I should not have to feel grateful to receive benefits I’ve worked long and hard for. We have the right to set my standard of treatment high, and to have the world meet me on MY terms – not anyone elses, whether I live in Indiana, Seattle, or Mobile.

By: trevlove

trevlove — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:12:04 +0000

I wonder how many of those Jesus-loving Evangelicals are tossing pee soaked teddy bears to the black kids?

Talk about blatant. That’s why I can’t live in the South. For that reason and the fact that I can’t good great wine and cheese down there…

I live in New Jersey (sometimes called the South of the North) and the 2 times in my life I was called a ni**er was here! Go figure. At least there is the wine and the cheese.

Trevlove
dysturbia.wordpress.com

By: Ariane

Ariane — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:55:38 +0000

There’s something truly hideous and abominable about giving nasty toys to kids. An adult at least has the option of understanding the ignorance of racism. A child can only take it personally. It’s cruel. I imagine for some of those kids it was no minor thing. Unbelievable to me.

By: transgressingengineer

transgressingengineer — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:39:43 +0000

Nojojojo- Don’t sell what you are writing about short. Yes, the minor crap symbolizes the major crap. And the major crap are things that we need to examine and talk about. But all of that minor crap adds up very quickly. IMO, the minor crap can be much more damaging to one’s self than the major crap sometimes. How many times have I heard the saying, ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’…? It’s just like that- all of those minor things add up and are carried around by all of us- and that kind of racial baggage is what breaks backs.

By: Diane J Standiford

Diane J Standiford — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:10:52 +0000

I could comment on so much, but I’ll choose one: racism in South just overt. I moved to Seattle, being told how much racial harmony was here. My first of many ltr to ed was about the subtle racism rampant in Seattle; speaking as a white woman from Indiana. Soon Seattle got a black mayor, people moved here in droves. It is a different city now; but thas racism improved? In my opinion-no. In my black friends opinion-no. But stil the white people think all is lovely. Seattle does have a good mix of races, cultures, religions, gay/old/young/st8,but I think the old guard dies hard.

By: Ico

Ico — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:58:24 +0000

“The deniers/rationalizers do far more damage, IMO.”

Ah, that is interesting. I often wonder about that. What is worse, people who believe racism is wrong but generally deny its existence (usually with the colorblind rhetoric), or people who are openly prejudiced?

I don’t know. I mean, the analogy I am thinking of on a personal level is with sexism I have experienced. I would much rather deal with a person who believes sexism doesn’t exist anymore, than with a person who thinks women belong in the kitchen. Sure, it’s frustrating when men tell me there’s no such thing as a glass ceiling. But is it worse than being openly prejudiced?

I don’t know if that’s an appropriate analogy or not, but I am curious to hear your thoughts on this. Racism seems to have gone underground, with whites saying “yeah it’s bad, but it’s over now…” And while it’s incredibly difficult to fight a problem that white mainstream society claims does not exist, is that worse than the society saying, “people of color are inferior”?

I think you’re absolutely right about the minor stuff symbolizing the major stuff. It *is* important in that respect. And it’s important, too, because… I don’t know. I think “minor” things like this can mean as much in life as big things. Maybe jobs and lives aren’t on the line because of it, but it matters. It’s so wrong, and part of this repeating pattern of little things building up… of course you know that already, but… yeah. It matters a whole lot.

By: nojojojo

nojojojo — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:18:37 +0000

Well, I know none of this stuff is especially important in the grand scheme of things; nobody really cares if white people get more cheapass plastic jewelry and artery-clogging, diabetes-inducing sugary crap than the PoC. I just bring it up because of what it represents — in towns like Mobile, where people are more open and honest about their racism, no one thinks twice about such minor expressions of it. But for every dirty teddy bear, there are a dozen predominantly black schools which receive crappy textbooks, teachers, and other inferior resources. A thousand examples of white people getting promoted over equally-qualified black people. And so on. The minor crap symbolizes the major crap. There’s no effort to rationalize or deny either in a town like Mobile, unlike in the North (or on the internet).

Appalling as it was to see again, in some ways I have to say — I find this kind of Southern honesty refreshing. The deniers/rationalizers do far more damage, IMO.

By: Ico

Ico — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:27:07 +0000

Wow. Part of me is shocked at that Mardi Gras stuff going on nowadays (dirty toys to the black kids???). But then, part of me is sadly not surprised.

I remember encountering similar things, looking back at stuff I used to enjoy rather innocently as a kid. As an adult I went back and realized how racist/sexist/screwed up it was. Like the not-so-subtle racism in Disney films, which I was raised on. Some of it I knew even as a kid to be racist and f’ed up — mostly the stuff that directly related to me, like the slant-eyed “We are Siameeeese if you pleeeease” cats.

But I can’t say things are actually better now because you still have those stupid ninja/Chinese cats in flicks like the more recent kids’ film Cats and Dogs, which to me fall into the same category as the “We are Siameeese” cats.

So the yellow face masks and all that… don’t really surprise me. And the more I think about it, the less the toy incident does. Though that’s really horrible. Wow. It’s infuriating to think about.

Thank you for sharing. You are so right about the media — and your comments are always very eye-opening for me.