Someone asked me this week: how is life in da 'hood?

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And this is my response:



You have no idea how great your timing was for that question.

You see, I was in an interview on Monday with an African American man who works high up in an organization. I was the note-taker and a bi-racial man with me was doing the interviewing. The guy we interviewed pretty much sandblasted white people, rich people, rich, white churches, etc for 3.5 hours straight and I had to takes notes on everything he said. I was blown out of the water. I have never experienced such frustration and anger directed at my race before so directly. His feelings were palpable towards me, or more my race and status I guess.

So, that's how life is in the 'hood. It has taken me the whole week to type up the interview and process what I went through. I have never felt so ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, incredulous, stunned, amazed, and angry all at the same time. Oh, and also the the feeling of wanting to sink through the floor so badly, I felt at times more than I ever have in my life. It was an experience like none other but I learned a lot. I told Professor Corbett that it was my three years of my Community Development major summed up in 3.5 hours in real life experience. This was what I learned about in the book "Being White." The raw material and emotions that are often experienced by minorities on a daily or even hourly basis that I could only read about and try to comprehend, I was blasted with in my face. There was no running, but you know what? I realize even more that I could run if I wanted to. That's part of the privilege I have and if I did run, this man would have been just all that much more correct with how he was pegging me and my race.



-Emily


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