Ever since a Black homeless friend asked me if I was ever worried my business would get hurt by being accused of being a "Nigger Lover" (his words; not mine), I've been thinking about racism on a whole new level.
Our house at 85 Kent Place is now all Black. All the tenants. And all the people that hang out in the basement. The only White people I see there are a few White women. White men simply do not go in that house any more.
I've always had rumors spread about me. But they seem more intense right now. That I have women chained up in the basement of someplace. That I am selling laced drugs to homeless people and killing them.
I kind of think that this change in racial makeup of the 85 Kent Place house could be contributing to that.
It's not Black people saying this stuff about me. It's White people.
I believe that lower income communities are a little behind-the-times in racial thinking. (Homophobic thinking too. But that's another story.)
But it's not just homeless people. It's laborers I hire. It's people that don't live in Akron that come into Akron to work. It's family members with "traditional values."
I'm sure some of you will think that this is "sad" or "tragic". I don't. I think of it as cultural. I find it extremely interesting.
Prisons are very racially segregated. And let's face it, most of our communities are racially segregated. A huge portion of America is feeling something about race and it's typically not positive.
I am a firm believer in talking about racism (and everything else). You are not bad for thinking and feeling a certain way. Your thoughts and feelings are legitimate and likely come from a place that makes sense based on your upbringing and community culture.
Our house at 85 Kent Place is now all Black. All the tenants. And all the people that hang out in the basement. The only White people I see there are a few White women. White men simply do not go in that house any more.
I've always had rumors spread about me. But they seem more intense right now. That I have women chained up in the basement of someplace. That I am selling laced drugs to homeless people and killing them.
I kind of think that this change in racial makeup of the 85 Kent Place house could be contributing to that.
It's not Black people saying this stuff about me. It's White people.
I believe that lower income communities are a little behind-the-times in racial thinking. (Homophobic thinking too. But that's another story.)
But it's not just homeless people. It's laborers I hire. It's people that don't live in Akron that come into Akron to work. It's family members with "traditional values."
I'm sure some of you will think that this is "sad" or "tragic". I don't. I think of it as cultural. I find it extremely interesting.
Prisons are very racially segregated. And let's face it, most of our communities are racially segregated. A huge portion of America is feeling something about race and it's typically not positive.
I am a firm believer in talking about racism (and everything else). You are not bad for thinking and feeling a certain way. Your thoughts and feelings are legitimate and likely come from a place that makes sense based on your upbringing and community culture.