Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I have been told that it is so important to learn from older people, but I have also realized the importance of them learning from my generation as well.  My great-grandmother, an 82 year old African American woman, was raised in a time where racism and segregation were not hidden.  She went through the back doors to buildings, was only permitted to drink from certain fountains, and was not treated with respect.  She had grown up with a white supremacy  mentality and passed it along to her children.

While in college, I would take on the responsibility of taking my great-grandmother grocery shopping to FoodLand.  The entire trip would take anywhere from 3-5 hours for about 20-30 grocery items.  She walked very slow and refused to use a cane.  She was very particular about her quality of food.  Grandma would examine and reexamine packages, dates, and name brands of products.  Last but not least, she would also stop and talk to several employees about the food.  During the grocery excursion, it was imperative that you remain close to her just in case she has you to go and grab and item she forgot. 

After a long voyage through FoodLand, it was finally time to check out.  I loaded all of the groceries onto the belt for the young lady to ring up.  Grandma watched every item to make sure she wasn't getting charged twice.  She looked over in my direction to see the Caucasian bag boy starting to bag the groceries.  She immediately made him stop and said, "Alisha go and bag those groceries.  He shouldn't be doing that for us."

Wide eyed, I looked at my grandmother and said in a very calm voice, "This is his job grandma.  He is supposed to do this for everyone. He gets paid for this."
"Not for us.  Now go and do what I said!" This is when she gave me the grandma "look".       

After the young boy insisted on bagging her groceries, she calmed down about the situation, and allowed him to do it.  I was still livid.  Because I would never want to disrespect my grandmother, the car ride home remained quiet.  I was humiliated, angry, ashamed, and astonished that she would say or think that whites are too good to bag groceries for blacks.  My mother had taught me that being black was beautiful.  Grandma was trying to tell me that being white was better.

 

I wanted to tell my grandmother that we have overcome, but looking at the news, politics, and other forms of media makes me doubt that we have.  Discrimination, prejudice, sexism, racism, are all negatives thoughts that continue to grow over time.  We have the power and education to put an end to the hatred, but everyone has to work together.  I guess that is the problem.  The thought of working together is intimidating. ...

FYI..... absolutely none of these pictures are me and grandma :)

What is Culture and Diversity

Asking several people about culture and diversity:
- 2 African American Male (43 and 32)
- 2 African American Females (39, and 52)



these are some of the answers I got:

Culture:
Everything
How you act
How you were raised
Your process of thinking
Where you were from
What you like and dislike
Your values/morals
Your belief system

Diversity:
Your race
Your gender
Your sexual preference
Embracing and respecting another person's background, culture, and their way of thinking


The majority of the answers that I received have been listed in a portion of our reading assignments.  The major omission that I realized (in diversity and culture)  is the role or identity that a person has.  After reading this week's assignment I can see how a role/identity is assigned to a person.  Even throughout my childhood, I can see how I was assigned or assumed roles subconsciously.  It is something that naturally happens.  This is a direct affect of culture and the impact that it has on a person's thought process.

After reading about culture and diversity and hearing other people's definition, I realize how why definition has changed through education.  I have been enlightened by my reading and conversations with other classmates.  This class has changed my outlook on a variety of topics involved within culture and how to acknowledge and respect others.

Thanks Walden

My Family Culture

If I had to choose the three most important things that represented my culture, I would have to definitely choose my bible, our family photo album, and my wedding rings.  The Bible is a book that will always give me encouragement, direction, and wisdom.  My family album would help me to remember the family that was lost or that I had never gotten to meet.  It would also allow me share our family history with my future generations.  My wedding rings is something that represents the unity between me and my husband, and something that represents one of the best days of my life.

I would feel torn and awful if I were to have to loose any of the three items.  They each give me something different.  The bible is a great resource and helps me to make wise decisions.  The album would give me physical proof of great memories and loved ones.  The rings represent a portion of who and what I am.  I would really have a hard time trying to decipher between which item would be most important.

I was looking through my house to figure out what I would take if this scenario would ever come true.  It was hard for me to make a decision.  I appreciate and love my home and family.  Deciding on what is most important is extremely difficult.  I have learned that I am not a materialist person through this exercise.  Although I would be deeply saddened, I love my family more than the material things.  Bad things happen, but the healing process is what determines what type of person you truly are.