Colour Bind

Continuing the subject of race relations, riots and legal injustice, I was surprised to hear a friend question my mention of the "ire" that still exists within the African-American "community" in yesterday's post regarding the 1992 LA Riots.

"Is that still happening?" she asked - with sincere innocence - and, I must add, obliviousness. Yes, she does live on Planet Earth.

Of course resentments remain. On both sides of the colour spectrum. Why do you think the Tea Party partially exists in the first place beyond wanting to send women back into the kitchen? The backward-moving group is filled with racists now that we finally have a man of colour as the President of the U.S. Some of those people just can't stand it! 

Why do you think radical groups such as the remnants of the Black Panthers initially placed a bounty on George Zimmerman's head? (Thank Gawd cooler heads prevailed on that threat.) Because they are sick of the judicial disparity between Blacks in jail longer than their White counterparts who have committed the same crimes? And, of course, their own ultra-radical hatred toward Whites. And other reasons I don't care to list at this time. But the bottom line is the same: They just can't stand it!

Extremism is dangerous. But, I don't intend to lecture or educate on that subject in this post. A writer should write about what they know if not simply tossing out an opinion, as I often do. What I do know about race relations and the continuing sensitivity by Black Men in particular is based on personal experience and an understanding that a portion of our nation continues to harass interracial couples.

I know that several of my male African-American friends who dress as Preppy as a J. Crew ad notice how men and women hide their purses or cover their wallet pockets when entering an elevator with them.

I read the most scathing insults by racists on Message Boards toward anyone they believe is of colour or has admitted to be so.

I know that a member of my family who was the first to bring an African-American woman into an all-white church group back in the 60's wouldn't speak to me for several months when, years later,  I shared my apartment with a Black woman.

I know that the racial divide which occurred over the OJ Simpson trial continues to bring intense emotions to the surface of some of my African-American friends when I have merely suggested that OJ did kill his former wife and only rushed to the Black Community when he realized that many of his White Friends were backing-away from supporting his innocence.

In fact, I worked with the OJ trial Forewoman and two of the jurists on an audiobook. I directed all three in their readings of a book they had published via the company for which I was working. I was aghast over the NOT GUILTY verdict based only on his suspicious behaviour and history of violence with Nicole, not because he was/is of colour.

When I first saw the jurists gather in our office to plan the book and the audio taping, I left the office to get a breath of fresh air. I was livid over the verdict. However, as a pro, I was nice to them, and wanted to understand how they came to their "Innocent" verdict. I grew to like them as people, but I also knew the back stories of OJ's life with Nicole Brown Simpson via her personal friends (with whom I also worked on both their books and audios).

During a break in one of the recording sessions, I spent some time with the Madame Forewoman and, since the trial was over and done, asked if she knew a few key elements of the case that pointed directly to OJ as the killer. She became nervous, almost faded in colour, and told me she didn't want to hear about what the jury had not been told. She reacted as if I had hit her in the gut. I don't know what she was thinking, but whatever it was seemed to make her feel a tad sick. But that is only my opinion of her reaction. Whatever it was, I saw how sensitive she was and dropped the subject.

Having spent intimate time with people on both sides of the OJ issue, I believed I was able to discuss the case with some knowledge. One morning a few years ago, while having breakfast with a long-time friend who happened to be Black, I casually mentioned how OJ's trial was a circus and how it made no sense at all that he was found not guilty. My friend glared at me and threw his napkin almost in my face with a fiery, "There you go...all of you...you don't know what you're talking about!"

We agreed to never discuss the case with each other again. It was clear that this intelligent, caring man saw the finger-pointing at OJ as "race-related" and nothing else.

And that's when I truly knew how deep the scars still hurt within some African-Americans. I also realized how scary it still is for Blacks to live in the Deep South when another friend of colour told me how white men treat her whenever she has to visit family in that part of the U.S. To them, any woman of colour is a "slut" (and worse) no matter what she is wearing.

Suffice to say, we still have a very, very long way to go despite polls and stats that supposedly reflect a growing tolerance between races. Yes, things have changed - a little. But not really a lot when one looks deeper.

The Litmus Test on how far we as a nation have truly gone in racial tolerance will be how Whites And Blacks react when George Zimmerman's trial finally begins (if ever, by the way things are going at the moment) and what the verdict will be.

To be continued......