1/29/2009

Racial Issues?? Now??? WTF is going on!!


I've got a problem. Maybe someone can give me some insight.

Ever since the election of Pres. Obama, my Black coworker has become more & more combative and confrontational. All of a sudden it is all about race. I don't know what do to about it! Race has never been an issue between us...until now. All of a sudden it is "my people" this & "my people" that over the elections. Well, isn't Obama's victory a win for ALL PEOPLES...not JUST Blacks?? WTF? Obama is for ALL people...not just Blacks. All of a sudden....things are just...different.

Today, to my horror, my coworker told a 9 year old Black student (whom I get along with pretty darned well) that "she doesn't like her own kind..." because they were disagreeing over something as trivial as time-shares. OMG! I almost stopped the van! You can't say that to a child! WTF was she thinking? Or was she thinking at all?? We argued about it all the way home...I could not believe what I was hearing. She, after 6 or so years of working peacefully together, was telling me I was a racist!! That I put on an act for the Black children. *face-palm* I'm a kid at heart (anyone watching any of my tutorial videos can plainly see that), all I want to do is have fun. I want the kids to feel at home on my van...while my coworker wants everyone to act like a "proper" adult. Okay...children....arn't supposed to act like adults...they are CHILDREN!! If a child does not want to talk on the van, they don't have too...but this one student is a real talker. An open book. She tells us everything. I don't mind...but my coworker seems to. She keeps saying she has an attitude problem...but I have not seen that at all. I'm blind to it because of the "Act" I supposedly put on. I dunno...maybe she is going senile?

Okay, but wait...there is more to be told. This racial thing did not crop up until AFTER Obama was elected as President. Since then it has been one thing after another. I had ignored most of it up till now, but now....now it cannot be ignored. I am a nonracial White woman. I don't care if you are flippin PURPLE WITH GREEN HAIR, you don't say "you don't like your own kind..." to a child!! It's wrong in so many ways!

So....she was not hearing me because she was set on labeling me a racist...maybe because the aforementioned child and I get along well & she is jealous about it (that's just childish), I don't know. Everything I have said or done is now wrong by her. My openness with children is wrong. Treating them as equals is wrong.

So I called up the boss. I didn't want to...but this has gotten out of hand and out of control. The boss agreed that the statement was not appropriate in any way, shape, or form & that it may jeopardise her employment. Great. Not what I wanted to do by a long shot. I don't know how to handle her growing hate & separatus (sp??) attitude. She's become such a hateful, unhappy person...always complaining about how much she doesn't make & how much she doesn't like the job. Always calling the kids "little brats & demons" when they are not around. She is so angry. She never used to be. I dunno what to do but I do know I do not like being around her anymore. She emanates a distasteful energy now-a-days. I come home angry & upset myself just from being around her & having to deal with her anger. We used to be so open to one another, talk about everything...but now, since Obama was elected...thing with her have changed & I find myself not able to understand why.



Until next time...

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5 comments:

  1. I randomly found your blog/this particular entry while doing a web search and I wanted to say that you did the right thing talking to your employer. While I want to imagine that there's something else--anything other than the election--that's caused your co-worker's personality shift, it doesn't really matter. What matters is what she's doing to and around children that can impact on their personalities for life.

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  2. I must say that I have always respected people of all races-I may not like an individual person but that has nothing to do with his or her race, but we all have to accept that racists come in all colors. Obama is both black and white, and he doesn't appear to be a racist in any way, but because he appears black, and thanks to the media-it seems that black people expect him to give them whatever they want, and that he should be a racist, if that is what they thought was going to happen I think they are going to be dissapointed. I look forward to the day when black or white is only a word for skintone and nothing else. I hope I live to see it, but I won't hold my breath.

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  3. I agree with the others that I really don't think this is particularly about the fact that President Obama was elected, but that your friend has other problems. I have noticed an opposite effect among many people, black and white of a pervading joy and relief particularly in the days right after the election and of course at the inauguration. I'm sorry that your boss considers firing her over this, because that will add to the tension between you. Good luck with that, and thanks for posting about my painting.

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  4. I found you last fall when I was contemplating alpaca fiber. You've done some really good stuff.

    Anyway, as far as this issue goes it is a 2 way street and expectations have changed. Your co-worker's attitude reminds me of people who live together and then marry. Once married they expect everything to be different and it isn't which leaves them disappointed.

    I recently watched this excellent vintage episode of frontline,
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/
    which illustrates the dynamics of racism better than almost anything.

    I realize that this post is months old and hope that things with your co-worker have worked out better.

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  5. Wow that is a really interesting video. I've watched it & I wish I was in that teachers class! LOL We did simply just forget the event between us & make it through the rest of the year. Since the job is seasonal, we have had 3 months away from one another. She still waves & says Hi to me & I am still polite in return. That day is not something I am ever going to be able to forget. I know one thing, this video is going into the blog!!

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