Side note - Many times when we are out in public people believe they have the right to come up and touch my child, usually her hair. I don't understand it. I would never walk up to a stranger and touch their child's hair. Weird.
The woman leaned down and said in a very calm manner, " I will not be voting for YOU again this year. I hate what YOU have done to this country. The health care plan is just a big joke. She finished with saying, "Well, I will give you one thing YOU sure do know have to give a good speech!" Then she stood up turned around and walked away. I think my mouth was touching the floor.
What was that?! It was so unexpected; I didn't even know how to respond. She was addressing my sweet girl as Obama! WHAT THE HECK????
I kept an eye out for her as we finished our shopping. I had decided if she tried to approach my cart again I would tell her she was not allowed to address me or my children. What was that?
I mean, does this look like Obama to you?
No and that's very unfortunate that that had to happen to you and your daughter. It's simply an example of ignorance and hidden (well not so hidden in this case) racism that still exists and sadly that as blacks we all experience at times in our lives, Yep and still in this day and age. It's always hard to figure out the right things to do and say in those situations...I just had an experience of some racism this summer as a teacher that I was riding with along with other women (who were not black) began talking poorly about her black students and said to me "You know what I am talking about the REALLY black kids, cause you're not really black, ya know" Huh??? Yeah, actually I am! It stuns you and hurts! To me it seems that the lady in the grocery was saying all blacks are the same. Just make sure to teach your daughter to love herself b/c sadly at some point it will probably happen to her. I actually have a friend's son who it experiencing now in fifth grade, a student continues to tell him, "My grandparents used to own your family at some time" and then laughs and continues to treat him mean. Super sad...
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this happened Karmen. For some reason race brings out the CRAZIES!!! It hurts when your child is seen as an object rather than a human being because of their skin color. People often don't even realize they are doing it and especially when they make comments about your child that they would never bother thinking or making if your child was white.
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