i'm 73 years old -- born and raised in queens, NY. my first job was in the garment center. blacks and puerto ricans only worked in the shipping department. but in '59 my office manager -- a jew (bless his heart) hired a black woman as an assistant bookkeeper. i was only 18 and sexually active and she told me things about sex that my mom should have told me. actually my mom didn't know i was sexually active. even after i left that job we stayed in touch for years.
it seems since obama became president racism is worst. it's been there all these years, but now the racists seems to be "coming out of the closet".
i am empathetic to the needs of black people. i'm still shocked by the trayvon martin verdict. over the years i've had black friends -- my hairdresser is mixed race. her mom is white and her dad is black. she only met him a few years ago. she was raised by white people and it was very hard for her. she lived in california and there were only 3 african americans in her graduating class. she vowed to marry a black man so her children wouldn't go through what she did. in fact she's pregnant right now with their first. even though she hasn't said it i know she's hoping for a girl because of how black men are treated.
even though racism still exists it warms my heart to see how many blacks are educated and have good jobs.
i'm also aware of "white privilege". i've had ups and downs in my life but being white and being good looking helped. back in the day when i was younger only good looking white women got receptionist jobs. a good looking white woman had a better chance of getting a secretarial job.
i've been living in phoenix for 25 years. when i first moved here it was rare to see an black person, but that has changed. i live in an upscale neighborhood and several of my neighbors are black.
please don't generalize all white people. i was raised to believe that everyone was created equal. no one in my family ever used racial slurs.
when my sister was in college she considered dating a black man. when she talked to my mom about it my mom said "if it were to become serious and you got married i know mixed race children will be accepted some day, but i don't want it to be my grandchildren who suffer". that was back in the early 70s.
back in '69 i dated a black man. he took me to a super bowl party. i was the only white person. i said to him "i feel uncomfortable". he said "now you know how i feel every day of my life". one regret i have about that day. there was a woman in the kitchen cooking chicken, etc. the door was closed. she only came out to bring food out. i should have gone into the kitchen and asked her if she needed help. i think about that a lot.
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