Lately we white Americans seem to feel pretty self-satisfied with our supposed abolishment of racism- hey, we elected a black president- doesn’t that show that we’re over it? And while many of the more overt forms of racism have seemed to fade away, there is still a deep undercurrent of inequality flowing beneath us: urban poverty and media stereotypes, just to name a few. Then, sometimes, we get reminded that blatant racism can still rear its ugly head where we least expect it- in our own neighborhoods.
I was in line to pay for a tank of gas at my corner gas station-convenience store a few months back, when the man in front of me placed a jar of applesauce on the counter. The clerks rang up his purchase, and a dispute erupted. The man was apparently being charged tax on this applesauce. The man became livid, slamming the jar onto the counter and yelling “You ______ing Indians are all thieves! Every single one of you! Stealing our money!” He continued on in this manner for a few more sentences. Now, I don’t know the law. I know that in a grocery store there wouldn’t be tax on this kind of item, but I have no idea if the rules are different in a convenience store. Regardless of the law, however, this slew of racial epithets was unacceptable.
Awhile back I saw a segment on 20/20 called “What Would You Do?” Maybe you’ve seen it? On this piece, actors play out ethical dilemmas to see how people react, predicaments such as receiving too much change after purchasing something, witnessing shoplifting, or overhearing racist comments. The point was to see how the bystanders reacted– would they do the right thing and speak up, or let it go? As I stood there hearing his tirade, I thought of this. I considered my options. Seven months pregnant, I figured I wasn’t going to be threatened physically if I spoke up. As I stood there debating with myself, I thought of my son: what kind of world do I want him to live in? What kind of model should I be? Then I turned to the man, who was still shouting from the doorway. With my heart racing, I calmly said “Sir, that was really inappropriate. That was a racist thing to say, and I’m really offended by it.”
He continued to spew as he left the store, then as I walked out to my car he muttered that he was sorry he had offended me. I was glad I had called him out on his comments, but as I drove away all the other things I should have said occurred to me: that it wasn’t me he should apologize to, that he’s entitled to think whatever he wants but some things should be kept to yourself, and that comments like that hurt our community. I wonder how, or even if, he thought about that interaction later.
What would you do if you found yourself in a similar situation? Would you speak your mind? We don’t need to engage in disputes, but merely hold up a mirror to our neighbors. We need to hold each to high standards. We should all remember the wise words of Mahatma Ghandi and: “be the change [we] want to see in the world.”
