ENY, it’s a longer story than I can share here but I learned about a lot of things from her and also from another friend I made working in a bank summer of 1969, the summer of Woodstock. He was such a jerk, AND he was my boss, during the zenith of radical black power talk, teasing me mercilessly because he could see how sheltered and inexperienced I was. We had a funny relationship then but we stayed friends for our whole lives after that. He is one of about 5 people on this planet I would do anything for. And from him, I think I learned a lot about where the bruises are and from his kindness and humanity and his incredible gift for friendship, I learned how to cut through the superficial with race stuff.
Years ago, I took my daughter to the old A&S on Fulton Street in Brooklyn to see Santa just before Christmas. When we arrived, we joined the long line of parents and children. Suddenly, a store employee came to us — still at the end of a long line — and beckoned us to come with her. Here’s where I clarify that everyone else in the line was Black. Initially, I refused to budge. Why was this employee (who was also Black) telling us to jump the line? But she was quite insistent, and the woman in front of me in line joined in to encourage me to follow the employee, so we left the line and followed the employee down to the front of the line.
Well, it turned out that THEY HAD TWO SANTAS!! One of them was Black and one was white. And so the employee was bringing us to see the white Santa. That’s when it all made sense, and I also thought it was pretty cool that they had a Black Santa. But how do Black parents explain it to their children, when most of the images of Santa the kids see on TV and in story books and elsewhere are of white Santas?
HA does anyone remember when stores greeting card aisles had “Ebony” sections!? I dont really see that much anymore, except around the holidays for Kwanzaa. when i was like 12 or something i bought my grandmother a mother’s day card from the ebony section and it had a black woman on the card and she got mad :-/ well not mad, but she she made a fuss about it. She still displayed it with the rest of the cards so i guess she wasnt toooo racist
Thanks Ishtar for replying! – my husband won’t set foot in the Court street theatre for that reason- I mean am not talking kids b/c white kids (teens shall I say of any race) are just plain annoying in the theatre. oh yes the babies to R movies -babies are one thing, it’s the 6 year olds that are a shocker to me
ENY – well am surprised especially by those peeps in NH -wtf! those are the most reserved of white folks! – haaaaa sorry you had an annoying experience with all their “chattah”
Think you have a great perspective on this identity stuff, cmu, both from that comment and some of your previous ones.
I think it’s partly a US thing, because almost everyone is descended from someone who came from somewhere else, usually quite recently.
I know I mention / joke around about the UK stuff a lot, and I guess it does define much of my worldview, but it’s not something I care about deeply. It’s just a fact, like my hair color or height or shoe size.
By Petebklyn on October 7, 2010 3:50 PM
worse than talking in movie are the ones that sing along during musicals.
GOTD
lechacal, is the site down over there or was I banned again???
ENY, it’s a longer story than I can share here but I learned about a lot of things from her and also from another friend I made working in a bank summer of 1969, the summer of Woodstock. He was such a jerk, AND he was my boss, during the zenith of radical black power talk, teasing me mercilessly because he could see how sheltered and inexperienced I was. We had a funny relationship then but we stayed friends for our whole lives after that. He is one of about 5 people on this planet I would do anything for. And from him, I think I learned a lot about where the bruises are and from his kindness and humanity and his incredible gift for friendship, I learned how to cut through the superficial with race stuff.
worse than talking in movie are the ones that sing along during musicals.
Years ago, I took my daughter to the old A&S on Fulton Street in Brooklyn to see Santa just before Christmas. When we arrived, we joined the long line of parents and children. Suddenly, a store employee came to us — still at the end of a long line — and beckoned us to come with her. Here’s where I clarify that everyone else in the line was Black. Initially, I refused to budge. Why was this employee (who was also Black) telling us to jump the line? But she was quite insistent, and the woman in front of me in line joined in to encourage me to follow the employee, so we left the line and followed the employee down to the front of the line.
Well, it turned out that THEY HAD TWO SANTAS!! One of them was Black and one was white. And so the employee was bringing us to see the white Santa. That’s when it all made sense, and I also thought it was pretty cool that they had a Black Santa. But how do Black parents explain it to their children, when most of the images of Santa the kids see on TV and in story books and elsewhere are of white Santas?
HA does anyone remember when stores greeting card aisles had “Ebony” sections!? I dont really see that much anymore, except around the holidays for Kwanzaa. when i was like 12 or something i bought my grandmother a mother’s day card from the ebony section and it had a black woman on the card and she got mad :-/ well not mad, but she she made a fuss about it. She still displayed it with the rest of the cards so i guess she wasnt toooo racist
*roB*
Thanks Ishtar for replying! – my husband won’t set foot in the Court street theatre for that reason- I mean am not talking kids b/c white kids (teens shall I say of any race) are just plain annoying in the theatre. oh yes the babies to R movies -babies are one thing, it’s the 6 year olds that are a shocker to me
ENY – well am surprised especially by those peeps in NH -wtf! those are the most reserved of white folks! – haaaaa sorry you had an annoying experience with all their “chattah”
Rob – I should have known…….
Think you have a great perspective on this identity stuff, cmu, both from that comment and some of your previous ones.
I think it’s partly a US thing, because almost everyone is descended from someone who came from somewhere else, usually quite recently.
I know I mention / joke around about the UK stuff a lot, and I guess it does define much of my worldview, but it’s not something I care about deeply. It’s just a fact, like my hair color or height or shoe size.
ENY;
Thanks. Once again, just having some fun, pulling some folks’ tails!