After college I went to work in a small home furnishings store. When one of my fellow employees described her kitchen decor as "black themed" I was intrigued. When she continued, describing her Aunt Jemima wall art and her Mammy cookie jar I found it to be offensive, and I said so. In my next review I was told to get along with the other employees, I was told that I was not expected to agree with everyone but expressing my opinion was unacceptable and that I needed to remember we all have different taste. I was told to keep quiet, look the other way and act as if offensive remarks didn't bother me. And I was told that if I couldn't do this there would be a note in my file as to my inability to get along with others. It seems I was told, in my first job and my first job review, to tolerate racism, in whatever form it presented. I should have yelled "fire", because maybe then someone would have listened.

1 comment:
Exactly.
It takes courage and personal strength to stand up and say "That's not right."
When we look in on these communities or cultures that tolerate this, it seems to me that they are groups where the individual is lessened somehow. That being part of this huge, important community - Penn State, the Catholic Church - becomes more important than doing what is right as an individual.
But shouting Fire could have changed the lives of so many children who were hurt by this.
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