The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression
One memory that I will never
forget is visiting a grocery store years ago and being watched by some
Caucasian employees. Every time I went
on an isle I would notice one of them peeping around the corner at me. I only picked up a few small items. On the way to the cash register I reached in
my purse to get my money out and walked up to the front. The manager came up to me and called me to
his office. He said did you steal
something, I said no; I was getting my money from my purse. I offered my purse for him to check it, which
he checked, there was nothing there, and he sent me out of his office, no
apology or anything.
In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression
in that incident diminish equity?
This incident reduced my
self-esteem. I was young at the time and
I felt that all Caucasians treated African American people this and that they
all were racists, until I got older of course and learned that this was not
true. I felt that they stereotyped all African
American people because of the color of the skin. I thought it was very sad for people to just look
at a person and judge them without even knowing them.
This incident caused feelings
of powerlessness, sadness, and it was very hurtful. I never went back into that store ever
again.
Hi Kesha,
ReplyDeleteI was seven yrs old at the time and my mother and I went to the mall. I get out of the back seat of my mother's car and the car parked next to us is an somewhat elderly white lady who is also getting out her car. I noticed she grabbed her purse when I stepped out the car but I was a kid and did not think anything of it until my mother observed what happened. My mother yelled at her saying I am a kid and my mother should be the one hold/grabbing her purse. My mother taught me from early on when we went to places to do certain things- for example if you get pulled over by the cops- keep your hands in sight-on the sterling wheel at all times and get that car window down. If someone leaves a purse in the shopping cart unattended walk the other way. I hate this but it is so true. I bet if you had your parents or an adult with you when your incident occurred I don't think the store manager would of pulled you in his office. If this incident would of been a person of the dominant race being asked to step in the office I think the store manager would of been sued.
Thanks for sharing
Brittney
Kesha,
ReplyDeleteWhile in high school, my mother in law had a similar situation. When she got to the counter and paid for some items, someone came from the store security team and asked her to empty her pockets, Upon finding out my mother didn't steal anything, my mother in law promptly returned to the counter and refunded her items. She decided to spend her money elsewhere
Brittney, you are 100% right. If the situation were reversed, a member of the dominant race would have sued the store and the manager.
Kesha,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you were subjected to this negative behavior. My son also was followed around a store when he was just 10 years old and he was puzzled about the treatment that he had received. I felt sad for him because I knew this incident was only the beginning of what was yet to come.