8 posts tagged “race”

What in the fuck?

Beating a dead horse here, but how about we try to figure out WHY people are doing what they're doing and offering viable solutions rather than throwing our collective hands up and sending out special task forces (see: ICE) to scare people into acting "right."

By the way, this is a socio-economic issue and not a race issue.  As things like this usually are. 

While I'm nervous about the preschool-to-kindergarten transition and contrary to my last post, I'm quite excited about the school and school district Lorelai will be in. 

I went to a PTA meeting this weekend. 

Kids were invited and it was a potluck.

Guess who looked like a child predator and a food moocher?  THIS CHICK OVER HERE.  I totally forgot the potluck aspect of it, and Lorelai was hanging with fam at the park and opted out of the PTA meeting thus making me appear that I just wanted to hang around small children.

Whatever.  I volunteered for stuff throughout the year (mostly computer-related and writing newsletter-type stuff), I met Lorelai's teacher (she's super cute, young and short. Not that any of those things matter...), met a few other parents, etc. 

I also totally chowed down on some edamame that a parent brought.  Like, squeezing in between groups of small children in order to get to the edamame bowl... multiple times. 

I do not do well in buffet type settings.  I mean.  I do.  But I have to do a lot of mental prep: "don't pick from the buffet display. don't yell 'YIPPEE IT'S ALL YOU CAN EAT!' don't embarrass the people you're with but running up and down the buffet line and doing the Arsenio Hall 'WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP!'" etc.  I'm mostly kidding about this mental check list.  Mostly.

Anyway.  Edamame was consumed. Volunteer hours were committed.  Elbows were rubbed.  It was cool.

Also, I had a very classic, awkward moment with a parent.

Goldie: Blahblabhblahb Lorelai, kindergarten, new to school, blahblahblah.

Other Parent: Blahblahblah Kid's name, first grade, did really well, blahblahblah.

Goldie: Do you know anything about the different color groups?  Like, I know there's yellow.

Other Parent: Um.  Yellow?  Color groups?

Goldie: Yeah.   Like, they separate the kids by their different colors?

Other Parent: By their different colors?  Well, there's the African American Connection group...

Goldie: Um... Okayyyyy...  But I thought that the kids switched teachers throughout the day according to whatever color they are...

Other Parent: Ohhhhhh...  I thought you meant ... by RACE.

Goldie:  *gasp* NOOOOOOooooo.  You thought I mean yellow, like, ... Oh no no no.  Hahahaha!

The color thingie I was referencing was just a kind of temporary assignment.  There are three color groups - yellow, green and something else, I think.

Anyway.  Excited about PTA.  I kinda wanna be one of those die-hard PTA parents.  The one that other parents see coming and cringe cus they know she's asking for money/volunteers/parents souls.  Yeah.  That's what I wanna do. 

Gut Check - Multiracial in America

This commercial came on during the Super Bowl this past Sunday:

Over the past year, I've been waging an internal race war.  Not black v. white, but the significance of race as a whole.  It's taxing.

1.  Vote.  Seriously.  Don't say anything to me or to anyone if you're not voting. 

2.  Social injustice based on race is effed up.  But don't expect Obama to campaign with the slogan, "Free Mumia.  Vote Obama."  It's not going to happen.  Oh, and instead of putting the weight on HIM to do it, why don't you demand (via communication) your local representatives to make a change.  Same with New Orleans.  Same with the Jena 6.  Let go of your victim mentality ... I know it's going to be hard.  Do it though.  Change doesn't happen by folks just talking about wanting that change in angry voices - you've got to penetrate a system that has, for the most part, misserved you.  They ("THEY" - THE MAAAAN) counts on you being too scared to make a difference.  THEYYYYY count on you being too scared or too proud or too gangsta to vote.  So, vote.  Write letters.  Tell your friends to vote.  Etc. 

3.  Before selecting Obama cus he's black, get to know the candidates and their stances.  Look.  Someone made it easy.  Try to picture a president that's good for the country.  That's a little much to ask.  But that's why Bush is in office.  His folks voted for him cus they felt he'd make a better America for THEM.  And it worked.  For THEM. 

4.  OBAMA IS MIIIIIXED.  Hella mixed.  From his book, "...my father looked nothing like the people around me — that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk — barely registered in my mind."  Get the EFFF over him being a potential BLACK president.  Quit making it a racial issue.  YOU are creating a divide.  A divide that is, granted, largely less severe than what happened during slavery and the period that sparked the civil rights era, but a cripling divide nonetheless.