Well before the Trayvon Martin verdict, I had seen, heard and read about white people dismissing the racial context of the case. Some do this artfully and skillfully; others, not so much. I’ve been wanting to explore some of these maneuvers more closely for a while now. (more…) Read more
A White Girl and the “N” Word
When I was in elementary school in 1970’s Brooklyn, NY (maybe third grade?) a kid (who was white) told me I had “n*gger lips.” It felt weird, because I wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not, but I kind of knew something wasn’t right about it. Honestly, I don’t remember how I responded. Maybe I looked confused or maybe I tried to be cool about it. I was seven or eight. I was also kinda socially awkward and, frankly,... Read more