I did not
witness this event I am going to share, but it happened to someone very close
to me. Last weekend my daughter went to the restaurant to pick some food up for
us. As she arrived she said she saw a Caucasian man walking around the parking
lot. She went in the restaurant to pick up the food. When she came out she said
the man approached her cussing and asked her why was she parked so close to
him. My daughter said his truck was on the line. She said “I’m sorry, but this
was the only parking space”. She said he then said I don’t want to hear that
(curse words). She said he starting calling her Nigga, trash, and other words.
She said he got in her car and he stood in front of the car cussing at her and
calling her racial names. She proceeded to pull off and he moved out the way. As
she pulled off she said he looked at her tag on her car to see what county she
was from and he said go back where you came from while still cussing. My daughter called me in tears. When she
arrived home she was still in tears and shaken. We tried to keep her daughter
from seeing her this way because we knew she would have questions as to why her
mother was crying. I told my daughter she should have called the police because
he could have tried to hurt her physically. He had already hurt her
emotionally. I was hurt and angry. I wanted to call the police and report him,
but she said she saw him get in his truck and leave. Customers in the
restaurant and others, who were arriving, witnessed this event. My daughter
said no one said anything to him but they were commenting saying how awful it
was.
Equity was
diminished because my daughter had a right to park and be at the restaurant just
as he did. He was the one who was not parked correctly, but he felt the need to
accuse my daughter because she was African American. My daughter also looks
very young for her age. I told her he also probably thought she was a young
teenager who easy to pick on.
All people
who are prejudice are going to have to change the way they think about people
of other nationalities in order for there to be opportunity for greater equity.
A person’s skin color does not define who they are. This world is so full of
prejudices, and some against their won race.
Hello Brenda,
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting story, and I must applaud your daughter for the way she handled the situation. She is a disciplined child, for if she had argued with that man, I believe he would have gotten physical with her.
Certainly, equity involves notions of justice and fairness, since it moves beyond equality, as equality signals understandings of parity, equivalence, and making things equal, which do not necessarily equate with justice and fairness. However, is is evident that this is racial discrimination.
Clearly, equity was very much diminished, because it is a public place, and your daughter like any other, had all right to park in the parking lot. If it were a restaurant where Negroes are excluded, the restaurant owners would have placed a bill board at the parking lot, stipulating that.
Joanne
Hi Brenda!
ReplyDeleteThis is awful! I feel bad for your daughter but I am also very proud of the way she handled the situation. I agree with Joanne’s comment. If your daughter would have argued back, I’m pretty sure it would have escalated and the man could have gotten physical on your daughter and would have hurt her. In a situation like this, I think it’s best to just ignore the other person and leave and/or call the police. I’m also curious to know how this man would have acted if there was another person with your daughter. I’m sure he would have contained himself if she wasn’t alone.
Thanks for sharing!
Erika
How awful, I am truly sorry that your daughter had to experience that. It makes me sick that people can be so cruel to strangers. I'm glad that your daughter handled this situation the way that she did but it angers me that she had to apologize for his mistake. She was parked fine, he was not, but yet he felt he had the right to be angry at her? People like this man make me want to make everyone become much more away of their personal biases and deal with them before they hurt anyone else. Thanks for sharing, and I am sorry your family had to experience such ignorance.
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda,
ReplyDeleteWow this is awful. I am not sure if the mans actions alone were the worst part of the fact that no one witnessing the situation came to help. As stated by others I am glad your daughter did not argue back and just got in her car and left for her own safety. Sometimes we can not predict others actions or what their motives are. Thank you for sharing this moment with us. And I hope your daughter is okay from this situation. She was very strong
Lauren