IBARW: A Talk with My Posterity

[chomiji]

Yesterday I showed the Young Lady, who is now 17, a piece from IBARW 4, called Unlearning Racism Adventure #1. I read aloud this part: "Comedian W. Kamau Bell notes that if 70% or more of the people in a place are white, it’s possible that place is racist. That place is my life. In Oakland, California, only about 35% of the people are white. So why couldn’t I think of anyone to bring with me to La Pena get the 2 for 1 discount for coming with someone of a different race?"

I said to my daughter, "This was pretty much my life too, until quite recently."

She said, warmly, "My life isn't like that at all! I could have taken K-. K- is black, and she is my friend!" She listed several more friends of color she could have brought. They were Asian: she hangs out with the Robotics Team, which skews heavily Asian and Jewish.

So, not perfect diversity - but better than her parents' generation. She then went on, musing: "It's hard to know what to call people sometimes. Some people say 'black' is disrespectful. Other people don't want to be called African-American, because they're Haitian or something and are proud of that. You have to get to know them."