🧵 Can I say something as a Gen X?
Growing up in schools that included white kids, being friends & playing sports w/white kids, working and getting along with white peers, bosses, employees & neighbors..
Despite all the “stuff” I thought our future, our now would be better
Growing up in schools that included white kids, being friends & playing sports w/white kids, working and getting along with white peers, bosses, employees & neighbors..
Despite all the “stuff” I thought our future, our now would be better
Comments
I grew up in a small border town, it was 50% White 45% Mexican, the rest Black & Chinese.
I got used to the soft racist comments that followed with a laugh or wink & being so young I just laughed back. This from adults.
I really thought the kids I grew up with would do better. Big NO.
I’m been called the the hard r n-word… in Oakland. Profiled by cops numerous times including searches, & put in back of a police car for his fun.
Never arrested but frequently harassed.
And yet, I thought our now would be better
All of my CEOs have been white men and I’ve always been welcomed by them when the opportunity was presented.
Some were terrible managers but nice men.
I thought things would be better.
In telling the story my new coworker used the full r n-word.
I was only Black person in room. It was my first day of work.
He was my assigned mentor.
But I honestly thought we -our nation would be better.
I didn’t think racism or discrimination would be eradicated. “Better” is relative but I believed it because I saw things getting better.
We constantly read how bad things are/remain, but for every bad statistic one that shows improvement can be shown: graduation, homes, degrees, healthcare, so forth. There are positive indicators.
Ppl for years to cone would've been calling me 'Hot Mic Myron' every time they recounted a recording & tell the story of how Myron J. Clifton became the Lifetime CEO of that company.
'Did you hear? Myron took down every1. Janitors included'
I remember reading about the moral arc bending towards justice, but this feels like a major setback if not a break.
I’m seriously disappointed in my fellow white Gen-Xers too.
If anyone doesn’t know about the moral arc 👇
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/21/arc-moral-universe-long-it-bends-toward-justice
Sending you much love!
Very disheartening to see how my white Gen X peers voted and who they have become. Their parents indeed.
I’m sorry my demographic keeps failing to live up to that promise.
My jr high & 1st high school (before moving) were approx 60% white, 40% black & people didn't self-select by race, they hung out based on interests...athletes, band or choir, pot heads, preppy kids, goth kids
Same with college
How did we go backwards?
I still hope so
It should be different. But it isn’t.
[ I wish more people on social media would open with this where warranted ]
One of my first posts ever on Twitter (back in the day)
'...when ever you have to qualify the definition of a human, such as "female" or "black", then, we are still failing.'
Not anymore, but maybe still someday. I hope.
They don't belong here. They are not welcome. It was going to be better than this.
SMH, we believed so much and fought for each incremental step.