Quote (AF_bear @ Dec 17 2009 01:49pm)
When I decided to live in Africa, I believed that I was coming to a place where I could finally be free of my abilities, persona and potential being determined by the color of my skin. Yes, maybe I was a little naive to believe that, but it was just something I so wanted to believe and experience. I wanted to truly consider that there is a place in this world where racism didnt exist, and what better place than to find this was in the motherland.
After the South African apartheid I thought that race matters were stable and equality was mainstreamed there and throughout the continent. But, the past conflicts of segregation and race crimes still haunts many Africans, even to the point of also experiencing same-race hatred when it comes to finding a job, walking on the street or eating at a restaurant. From what I am told, in some parts of Africa, race relations can be compared to living in the South in America----during Jim Crow and even post-Jim Crow.
And I was a victim of this in Uganda recently when I was at an office Christmas party. I was having a great time being around my fellow Ugandan co-workers, even though I am one of the two foreigners at the workplace and the only black American, I felt right at home.
Black like Me
I walked in on two co-workers who were sitting and conversing with one another watching the Oprah show on TV. I asked them what was the topic of the show and they replied race. The co-workers, one male and one female, looked at me and the male co-worker, who I also considered to be a friend, called me a nigger, after I made a comment that it was a bad word to call a black American.
Well, very stunned by the word, I quickly and seriously replied, Please dont say that word. I told you it is very racist. Its like calling a Japanese person a Jap or a white person a honkey, and it is very demeaning.
He replied that he thought the word was ok to say, and even though it was racist, whats the point of not calling me that name because that is what I am.
And I said seriously, No, that is not who I am and white people created that word and it is very racist against blacks and very derogatory, and you should not say that or call me that again.
He said, Why not, nigger? Nigger, nigger, nigger, and started laughing hysterically.
Of course, I didnt find the matter to be funny at all, and wondered why, after I had told my friend that it was a very rude, offensive and racist word to say to me, he would continue teasing me. So, that is when I started yelling at him to stop, and then he continued to yell nigger louder and he stood up. I was already standing over him, and even though he is probably at the most six feet tall, compared to my five-foot three frame, I pushed him and he stumbled onto his desk.
I just wasnt ready for that. I wasnt prepared to confront this name in Africa. I couldnt believe I could hear this word in Africa. Not in Uganda, a place I called my second home. And especially not by a man who was black like me.
But I did. At that point, I felt sadness, anger and my adrenaline was making me shake uncontrollably. But out of all the emotions that were going through my body, the one I felt the most was rage.
THIS is who AF_Curt really is.. now show some respect guys
Your forgetting your name is Bear, THIS.....IS who AF_Bear is, CurT is way to cool for this nonsense.