Do You Know What Really Grinds My Gears: Episode 1

In today's first episode of "What Really Grinds My Gears", I'd like to discuss a phenomenon that I see all too frequently in person and on social media. When a racially-discriminatory event, like, for instance, the two (!) separate arrests of black males at Starbucks locations (1), occurs, there are many initial responses. For myself and much of the black community, the initial reaction is usually frustration, anger, but usually not surprise - systematic racism manifests itself in new and exciting ways every day, if you're black in America. However, the initial reaction from many white people, and especially conservative white people, is very different. As soon as they read the headline, they say or post something in line with: "oh man, just because they were black and the employees were white, it's suddenly a race issue", or, "all these liberal racists saying it's because they're black", or, "white people get arrested in Starbucks too, where's all the media then?". First of all, ain't nobody getting arrested for being white in Starbucks or they wouldn't have any business. Secondly, why don't you try harder to deny that racism could possibly exist in the 21st century? And in your beloved country? Preposterous. There's a very nice Negro that cleans my house and dusts my Robert E. Lee bust every Sunday, I can't be racist. Get the f--- outta here Mildred (2).

For real though, that has to stop. The oppression of black folk in America manifests itself in different ways constantly, and when it gets publicized, we have to take advantage of the opportunity to combat it. By refusing to even acknowledge the possibility of discrimination or racism in current events, one is only hampering social change and progress. Yes, it is a race issue, because the Starbucks controversies are just another example of the stereotype of black men in America as suspicious and criminals, a stereotype that results in unwarranted confrontations, arrests, and killings.


(1) Various incidents:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/starbucks-police-boycott-black-men-arrest-philadelphia-racism-a8305381.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/04/17/a-starbucks-in-california-treats-black-and-white-men-differently-according-to-this-video/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.139b14155126

(2) www.oldwhiteladynames.com