How Can I Deal with Low-Key Racism?

Question

I'm a freshman in high school, and I'm of a Haitian-French heritage. I have medium-toned skin, which means not charcoal black but not super pale either. You can notice I'm black, and I have been called out for it. Recently I've been the victim of a lot of low-key racism. It's not the type of...

Answer 1

Wow. That stuff is crazy.

First I would find someway to record all of what they are doing so that if it gets really out of hand (I think it already is) you will have proof that your not crazy for "defending yourself".

If you dont want them touching you tell them dont touch me. Dont cower and be meek about it. Say it and mean it! When they say "nappy" (i prefer the term tightly curled or wavy) tell them the truth and if it is follow up with "and its nothing wrong with it. But my hair, in a weave is what I want now, today maybe tomorrow but if i choose to go natural when I enter the next faze in my life I can and i will". ( i personally love the afro on my cousin. She looks so nice with it). They may not know it but they are trying to make you feel bad for who you are. Talk to your parents about how to handle things like this or ask them about some things they went through.

This is what I would do.
Grape situation: I would stop them and say. "no you wont.Besides, I drink milk and I dont turn white. Not that I would ever want to because I like and love who I am." If you can tell they tan follow up with "so how much time do you spend tanning turning your skin another color?" If they dont tan, follow up with "uhmm when was the last time you tanned? It looks like its about that time"

Night time situation:
Catch up with them. Pull them in private and say. "I didnt like that comment.I dont find it funny and really never have, okay? When its bright out side I dont act like your blinding me so dont do that to me. Okay" Look them in the eye the whole time. Like your chastising a child, then give a nice smile when you walk away.

Rap music:
Ask them out right what its supposed to mean. You may go into a healthy debate its what mature people do. and at the end agree to disagree.

For the basketball: I would say something like because we already have basketball,base ball, foot ball (find out about the black guy who plays ice hockey), tennis, had golf for a while, time to take something else over. Then I would give a look that would suggest that I actually had that black woman attitude that they really dont want to see.

For this teacher thing, i dont exactly understand but I would either raise my hand and asker what she means in front of the whole class, but if its written on your paper take it to the principal. Tell the principal you dont want to just tell on the teacher but if at all possible have some communication with the teacher to gain some understanding about it. voice record it though. If that doesnt work. Tell your parents and show them any evidence you may have by recording it if you have it.

Love who you are! They may not know anything about other people.The sad part isnt knowing about others cultures but going about it in this manner.Without regard to how things may make you feel. Its a lack of tact and courtesy that shows a low life standard. My roommate in college has never been around black, and when we were getting to know each other, she would ask me questions in a manner fit to be in the presence of royals.I would answer her questions and let her know I appreciated the way she handled her questions. She was also the type of person that if she would get the smallest hint that I was uncomfortable she would assure me she didnt mean nothing by it and would offer to dismiss the questions altogether and apologize. After all that I would still explain things to her. You have the responsibility of being ambassador of all intelligent strong black girls to the people in your school. To show one size doesnt fit all.

Im known at my job as the black white girl with a group of people.(just because I know how to speak and I like rock and metal music and classical and broadway plays and opera) the ones that really dont like the way I am, sure were trying to speak and act a certain way that wasnt with their up bringing because it didnt look or sound natural when management was around and they would stop and talk with me and not them.

Answer 2

Those are not all what I would call low key. It would be best to talk to someone about at least the first two on the list section, if not others depending on context. (the others may be more difficult to convince school authorities of their seriousness, and the paper thing may have been normal confusion if it was a big class, although it is pretty ignorant and subconsciously racist if it was a small class where most people are known quite well.) Most of that would not have been any sort of "honest mistake" or anything, and should be stopped by authorities.

Answer 3

Are they trying to hurt your feeling are are they really just curious and don't understand that they're being hurtful?

If it's the later, feel sorry for them. They don't know better.

My school was very caucasian and people used to ask me if I was 'some sort of black'. Actually, I'm Italian. But they didn't know better. (olive skin, dark hair, not blond, must be 'black' in their eyes.)

Educate them, gently.

Answer 4

Sue or go to a black school never let people get away with it on this scale btw it's not low

Answer 5

trust i kno exactly wat u mean in of Jamaican-American heritage in a majority white JH (8th grade) in my school there are mexicans blacks and white and very few asians with the whites as majority they ask me if my hair is real and can i touch it and one girl that i didnt kno has in fact touched my hair, they make koolaid jokes and chicken jokes and ghetto jokes and if i kno my father and if i smoke weed (because of my jamaican desent) u just hav 2 curse them out or ask stereotypical questions right bac at them or shut them down as soon as they say sumthing like that. just remember even tho u are black they dont have the right to signify it to u like u didnt already kno it

Answer 6

Is this a real question? Just say, "Did you know that the person who carried the cross of Jesus had black skin?" you can say "Jesus loves black people." or you can say " Do you know when Jesus will come back?"

the voice of one who fears God

Answer 7

Stay calm and think logically and research "covert racism."