One of the most frustrating things about experiencing discrimination on a frequent basis is that when you bring up the fact of it — for goodness sake, even when you have video proof of it — you're challenged about whether it was really racism.
No sooner can you properly say you were treated unfairly does someone accuse you of "playing the race card." Or someone attempt to play devil’s advocate for the perpetrator, or ask if you could possibly look at the scenario in a "non-racial light.”
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm%9:D :D D@>6E9:?8 E92E :C<D >6 AC6EEJ @7E6?] x’G6 6IA6C:6?465 :E H96? x’G6 AC:G2E6=J @C AF3=:4=J E2=<65 23@FE :?4:56?ED @7 C24:D> E92E x @C >6>36CD @7 >J 72>:=J 92G6 6IA6C:6?465 7:CDE\92?5] $@>69@H[ A6@A=6 E9:?< xV> 5@:?8 :E 3642FD6 x H2?E 2EE6?E:@? — 56DA:E6 E92E 724E E92E x k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]4@>>F?:EJ492?86:?4]@C8^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm=625 2? 2?E:\C24:D> @C82?:K2E:@?k^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^3=24<8:C=:?>2:?6]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm92G6 2 H6==\C625 3=@8k^2m[ 92G6 2 3J=:?6 :? E9:D AF3=:42E:@?[ 8:G6 A2:5 DA62<:?8 6?8286>6?ED 2?5 >@C6] x 2=C625J 92G6 >@C6 2EE6?E:@? E92? x 42? 562= H:E9[ 2?5 36=:6G6 >6[ A2:?E:?8 >JD6=7 2D 2 G:4E:> :D?’E 2 A2CE:4F=2C=J 2AA62=:?8 H2J E@ 86E :E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm%9:D 92D 366? @? >J >:?5 3642FD6 @7 2 C646?E DE@CJ 23@FE !@CE=2?5 w2>5:2 p9>65 2?5 96C C646?E 4@>A=2:?ED E92E D96 H2D 5:DC682C565 2?5 5:D4C:>:?2E65 282:?DE 2E 2 !@CE=2?5 $E2C3F4<D] p9>65 :D 2 >@56= 2?5 24E:G:DE — J@F >2J C642== D96 >256 ?6HD ?@E =@?8 28@ 7@C 36:?8 E96 7:CDE |:DD |2:?6 !2862?E 4@?E6DE2?E E@ H62C 2 9:;23] p?5[ @7 4@FCD6[ J@F’G6 AC@323=J 7:8FC65 @FE 3J E9:D A@:?E E92E D96 :D |FD=:>] p44@C5:?8 E@ 96C 244@F?E[ E96 $E2C3F4<D :?4:56?E @44FCC65 3642FD6 D96 2D<65 2 32C:DE2 E@ AC@G:56 :?7@C>2E:@? @? 2? :?8C65:6?E W2=4@9@=X E92E p9>65 H2?E65 E@ 6?DFC6 H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ G:@=2E6 96C C6=:8:@FD 5:6E2CJ C6BF:C6>6?ED W2=4@9@= :D 2 4@>>@? :?8C65:6?E :? D@>6 G2?:==2 6IEC24EDX] p9>65 H2D C:5:4F=65 2?5 :8?@C65 :?DE625[ 2?5 C64@C565 A2CE @7 E96 :?4:56?E @? G:56@]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmpD E96 DE@CJ 92D >256 E96 ?6HD C@F?5D[ D96 92D 8@EE6? A=6?EJ @7 AFD9324<[ 2?5 G2C:@FD G6CD:@?D @7 E96 “J@F’C6 A=2J:?8 E96 C246 42C5” 244FD2E:@? 92G6 366? EC@EE65 @FE]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmxE >2<6 >6 H@?56C J6E 282:?i (9J 42?’E H6 A@:?E @FE H96? H6 2C6 >:DEC62E65 H:E9@FE 36:?8 244FD65 @7 D66<:?8 2EE6?E:@? @C H2?E:?8 E@ DAC625 A2:? 2?5 492@Dn (9J 2C6 A6@A=6 @7 4@=@C — :? A2CE:4F=2C q=24< 2?5 |FD=:> A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 2E E96 9:896C 6?5D @7 E96 23FD6 =2556C — C@FE:?6=J 5@F3E65[ 244FD65 @7 92G:?8 2? 286?52[ @C DFDA64E65 @7 92G:?8 6G:= :?E6?E:@?D H96? E96J D9:?6 2 =:89E @? 5:D4C:>:?2E:@?n (9J 5@ H6 D66 DF49 AFD9324< H96? H6 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ C2:D6 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 DE2CE 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 2?5 >2J36 86E D@>6 D@=FE:@?D E@ C65F46 DF49 ?@?D6?D6 282:?DE FDn W%9:D 2AA=:6D 6=D6H96C6 E@@i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D=EC:3]4@>^?6HD^A@=:E:4D^a_`g^_h^`f^D6?\92E49\D2JD\49C:DE:?6^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm=6E’D ?@E 7@C8@E 9@H @7E6? H@>6? 2C6 C@FE:?6=J 5@F3E65 H96? E96J >2<6 E96 A2:?7F= DE6A 7@CH2C5 E@ 244FD6 >6?[ 6DA64:2==J A@H6C7F= @?6D[ @7 D6IF2= 23FD6]k^2mXk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQmw@H >F49 AC@@7 5@ A6@A=6[ 6DA64:2==J H9:E6 A6@A=6[ ?665 E@ ?@E :?DE2?E=J 42DE 5@F3ED @? @FC 6IA6C:6?46D @7 C24:D>n x C62=:K6 E9:D :D 2 C96E@C:42= BF6DE:@?] *@F 42? 92G6 2 G:56@ @7 2 A@=:46 @77:46C D9@@E:?8 5@H? 2? F?2C>65 q=24< A6CD@? H9@ :D?’E 5@:?8 2?JE9:?8 E9C62E6?:?8 E@ E96> 2?5 DE:== >2?J H:== 7:?5 D@>6 H2J E@ D2J :E H2D E96 q=24< G:4E:>’D 72F=E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm{6E’D E2<6 E96 C646?E :?4:56?E H:E9 E6??:D DE2C $6C6?2 (:==:2>D] $96 7:?5D @FE 27E6C J62CD FA@? J62CD @7 C@FE:?6 5CF8 E6DE:?8 E92E D96’D E6DE65 H2J >@C6 @7E6? E92? 96C 4@>A6E:E@CD[ 2?5 D96 4@>A=2:?D] $96 :D 32CC65 7C@> H62C:?8 2 “42EDF:E” W24EF2==J[ 2 4@>AC6DD:@? DF:E H@C? 7@C 962=E9 C62D@?D 3642FD6 @7 C:D< @7 3=@@5 4=@EDX 5FC:?8 >2E496D] $96 86ED 92CD9 C6EC:3FE:@? 7C@> 2? @77:4:2= 2E E96 &]$] ~A6? C646?E=J H96? D96 925 H@C5D H:E9 9:>[ 56DA:E6 E96 724E >2=6 E6??:D A=2J6CD 92G6 7@C J62CD @A6?=J 4FDD65 @FE 2?5 E9C62E6?65 @77:4:2=D H:E9 ?@ D:>:=2C 3=@H324<] qFE ?@[ ?@?6 @7 E92E 4@F=5 A@DD:3=J C246\C6=2E65[ 6G6? H96? A6@A=6 DE2CE 9FC=:?8 C24:DE 4@>>6?ED 2E 96C @G6C DF49 E9:?8D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm%96 A2:?7F= A2CE 7@C >6 :D E92E 6G6? AC@8C6DD:G6[ H6==\>62?:?8 H9:E6 A6@A=6 @7E6? A2FD6 2?5 92G6 E@ 4@?D:56C H96E96C 2? :?4:56?E :D C24:DE H96? 2 A6CD@? @7 4@=@C E6==D E96> :E :D]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm(9J 42?’E E96 :?:E:2= :?DE:?4E 36 E@ ECFDEnk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm%96 C62=:EJ :D E92E >@DE @7 FD 92G6 ?@ C62D@? — @C C62==J E96 DA2C6 E:>6 — E@ H2?E E@ AF3=:4=J 86E :?E@ 2 7:89E @G6C 2 C24:DE D:EF2E:@?] xE DF4<D 7@C E96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 A6@A=6 E@ 36 E96 46?E6C @7 2EE6?E:@? 2D 2 G:4E:>] u@C >@DE @7 FD[ 4@?7C@?E2E:@? :ED6=7 DF4<D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm(6 ;FDE H2?E E@ =:G6 =:76 H:E9@FE 86EE:?8 56>62?65[ >@4<65[ >:DEC62E65 @C E9C62E6?65 3642FD6 @7 C246] ~C C6=:8:@?] ~C 86?56C] ~C D6IF2= :56?E:EJ] ~C H92E6G6C]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQAaQm(6 H2?E E@ 36 ECFDE65] q642FD6 >@DE @7 FD 2C6 E6==:?8 E96 ECFE9] yFDE =:<6 J@F 86?6C2==J <?@H H96? J@F’C6 36:?8 >:DEC62E65 3J J@FC 3@DD @C 2 C6=2E:G6 @C H9@>6G6C[ H6 2C6 86?6C2==J DA@E\@? H96? H6 766= H6’C6 36:?8 EC62E65 325=J 3642FD6 @7 C246] &?=6DD 2?5 F?E:= E96C6 :D C62D@? E@ 5@F3E FD[ E2<6 FD 2E @FC H@C5]k^Am
