I grew up in a house and environment that didn’t tolerate racism. When I was a kid, my mother asked if that black boy was my new friend. I told her I didn’t think his last name was Black.
I get a knot in my stomach when I hurt someone’s feelings. It concerns me that I may have inadvertantly insulted someone. And I fret about it. That has happened several times since I started this blog. It’s happened again.
Ambra is an intelligent young woman who doesn’t think much of my opinion. LaShawn has a post on Afrocentrist education where I left a comment.
Yes, white people made this country. There are many reasons for that, not the least of which was slavery. Blacks were not allowed to get an education. Therefore, they had little impact.
Those that did were always celebrated. Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and MLK. But there is no reason to celebrate someone simply because they were black and did something notable. Many people of all races did something notable, and there is little room in textbooks to discuss everyone. Often those who are covered are granted space simply because they were “the first black” or “the first woman” to do something.
Let’s celebrate accomplishment, not skin color.
Ambra didn’t like it.
Sometimes you forget, people really are that ignorant.
And wanted to let people know how ignorant she felt I am.
Oh yes he did. Go. There.
I’ve asked myself–often–whether I am racist. In fact, I wrote one post on this topic: I must be a racist. I’ve also penned MLK, Frederick Douglass, and House Slaves.
If those thoughts make me an ignorant racist, I plea “guilty.” I don’t believe it, but will forever hang my head in shame.
Bunker,
Ignorant comments do not equal racist comments. I use that word sparingly, and if I felt you were (racist), surely I would have said so. I should have clarified my comments to state that I felt the comment was ignorant; not you personally. Things tend to come across rather plain via the written word and for that I apologize. But then again, I’m a plain sort of person so there’s not much else I can say except, fret not, my feelings are not hurt. All is fair in love and blogging 🙂
Comment by Ambra Nykol — June 11, 2004 @ 3:29 pm
Hey Mike. I’d email this, but for some reason I can’t send outgoing messages at this time. Interesting, I got this comment in response to my post on my website. I think he hit my sentiment dead on (And he’s a white man):
Jeremy Pierce wrote, “I thought the biggest problem with Mike’s comment is that he failed to point out whose labor white people built the country on.”
Comment by Ambra — June 11, 2004 @ 6:10 pm