What's the Most Ignorant Question You've Been Asked By a White Coworker?
What’s the most ignorant question a White coworker/manager has asked you? I’ve heard a variety of crazy questions, such as:
-- Is that real? (Asked while touching some fabric I was wearing like silk or leather and clearly because a Black person couldn’t be wearing the real deal.)
-- Why do Black people have different hair textures? (Uh, why do White people have different hair textures?)
-- Why do Black people use hair grease? (Uh, why do White people use hair products?)
-- What’s up with Black women and their skin? (When I looked like I was going to jump across my desk and slap her, she added, “I mean, it’s so pretty.”)
-- What is that? (Asked about a Black woman’s dreadlocs)
-- Can you wash that? (The follow-up question about dreadlocs)
-- You don’t live in the ghetto? (Asked after I gave my address to a White person dropping me home after we worked overtime. I didn’t live in the so-called ghetto, but you did have to drive through it to get to my neighborhood!)
-- Am I gonna get robbed? (The follow-up question after I got out of the car, leaving the White person alone)
-- Do you know any rappers? (Yeah, let me pull Snoop outta my pocket right now!)
I’m all for people seeking to enlighten themselves at every opportunity, but come the heck on! How are these appropriate questions to ask a coworker? What’s the craziest question that you’ve been asked?
-- Is that real? (Asked while touching some fabric I was wearing like silk or leather and clearly because a Black person couldn’t be wearing the real deal.)
-- Why do Black people have different hair textures? (Uh, why do White people have different hair textures?)
-- Why do Black people use hair grease? (Uh, why do White people use hair products?)
-- What’s up with Black women and their skin? (When I looked like I was going to jump across my desk and slap her, she added, “I mean, it’s so pretty.”)
-- What is that? (Asked about a Black woman’s dreadlocs)
-- Can you wash that? (The follow-up question about dreadlocs)
-- You don’t live in the ghetto? (Asked after I gave my address to a White person dropping me home after we worked overtime. I didn’t live in the so-called ghetto, but you did have to drive through it to get to my neighborhood!)
-- Am I gonna get robbed? (The follow-up question after I got out of the car, leaving the White person alone)
-- Do you know any rappers? (Yeah, let me pull Snoop outta my pocket right now!)
I’m all for people seeking to enlighten themselves at every opportunity, but come the heck on! How are these appropriate questions to ask a coworker? What’s the craziest question that you’ve been asked?
posted by S. Mary Wills at 8:33 AM
2 Comments:
Have you ever been caught in a drive-by shooting? Is that your real hair?
This is a forum for Blacks, but that includes other races--that don't want to be associated with us. This site could be relevant for Asians, Hispanics, etc. We all face different issues and similar issues when dealing with racists. They just call us different names and use different stereotypes, but the sentiment is the same.
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