I know... I know... People will read my blogs, and dismiss my rantings because they sound like they're written by an angry black woman. And they would be right. I AM an angry black woman. No apologies.
There's a saying: 'Don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes."
But, I have to admit - I also find a certain amount of humor and irony in that fact as well, since half my family is white. My step-mother is White. My Aunt is White. My nephews are half-white, my son is mixed, my sisters are white.... I would have additional Aunts and Uncles who are white, except they disowned my step-mother as soon as she married my dad. So, I've never met them.
I grew up in an all-white neighborhood, right down the street from the first black Miss America - Vanessa Williams. We went to all-white schools together, and endured the disdain of our neighbors together. One family in our neighborhood was so disappointed by our lack of fear, and having the audacity to live where we lived -and be happy about it - that they burned a cross on our lawn.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I want to let you know that while I do harbor anger and resentment that (on some issues) time has stood still, it's not coming from a purely racist or ignorant stance.
It's coming from frustration that there's still a certain segment of our society for which the band marches on, and they're 'allowed' to live in peace and harmony - yet the rest of us are expected to somehow justify our existence - constantly.
Isn't it bad enough that I have to warn my son about the strange guy on the corner who likes to give candy to kids, but I also gotta warn him about how to react WHEN not IF he's called a 'nigger'?!
Why do we still live in a society which says that there are some (people) who deserve to fulfill their dreams, but ours still get 'deferred'?
And, I'm not just talking about race. I'm not even referring to economic class, I'm talking about the general attitudes and stereotypes one group likes to place other groups in, just to make themselves feel better.
How they cloak themselves in philanthropy, and volunteerism and call it a day.... Whatever happened to fairness, equality and the freedom of pursuit of happiness? What happened to those?!
Sounds like you have had an interesting life with some Rockwellian Americana and some intense sadness. You seem like a strong woman. Maybe since you like written expression, you should look into writing a book or having an indie film made about your life. Pretty cool that you grew up near Vanessa. You need to change your living arrangements. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you could use a drink or some 420 to chill. The system sucks. I've been there.
ReplyDeleteHey check out this article published today.
ReplyDeleteNEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The United States holds a disproportionate amount of the world's rich people.
It only takes $34,000 a year, after taxes, to be among the richest 1% in the world. That's for each person living under the same roof, including children. (So a family of four, for example, needs to make $136,000.)
10 largest economies
So where do these lucky rich people live? As of 2005 -- the most recent data available -- about half of them, or 29 million lived in the United States, according to calculations by World Bank economist Branko Milanovic in his book The Haves and the Have-Nots.
Another four million live in Germany. The rest are mainly scattered throughout Europe, Latin America and a few Asian countries. Statistically speaking, none live in Africa, China or India despite those being some of the most populous areas of the world.
The numbers put into perspective the idea of a rapidly growing global middle class.
Sure, China and India are seeing their economies grow quickly, and along with that growth, large portions of their populations are also becoming richer. But remember, the emerging world is starting from a very low base to begin with, so its middle class is just that -- still emerging, says Milanovic.
"It doesn't seem right to define as middle class, people who would be on food stamps in the United States," Milanovic said.
The true global middle class, falls far short of owning a home, having a car in a driveway, saving for retirement and sending their kids to college. In fact, people at the world's true middle -- as defined by median income -- live on just $1,225 a year. (And, yes, Milanovic's numbers are adjusted to account for different costs of living across the globe.)
In the grand scheme of things, even the poorest 5% of Americans are better off financially than two thirds of the entire world.
First Published: January 4, 2012: 5:37 AM ET