"I Do See Color" weekly newsletter: May 31, 2023
Weekly newsletter 35: Combination of race- and culture-related posts from "We Need to Talk," "I Do See Color," "BlackTechLogy," "Homegrown Tales" and "Window Shopping"
Welcome to the “I Do See Color” newsletter (with a bonus section of two first-person interviews called “Deuces”).
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Now let’s get into the weekly newsletter!
Each week, eight carefully selected posts will be chosen, which focus on culture, politics, health and race from a black (wo)man’s perspective.
NEW! 1. Can submissive and non-submissive women get along? ~ The cultural clash that ruined a college friendship
When she invited me to her graduation, I was ecstatic. We hadn’t seen each other in years, after I fled a startlingly racist university and she did the same shortly after. We didn’t have mutual friends at that college, but I was still happy to reunite with some of her buddies that I’d seen strolling around campus. She was already plotting on what club we would go to, and I’d strategically packed a few outfits to match the club energy. This was going to be fun!
Although most of her college friends who knew each other already were staying in one apartment, she’d invited me to stay in her own place. I pondered on whether I should book a room at a nearby hotel or inn, primarily because her mother was coming into town. Although I consistently would befriend my friends’ mothers, in this case, I wasn’t quite sure how. Her mother was Japanese and spoke no English. I spoke no Japanese. So all of our conversations would have to be translated.
2. Should black music students be required to learn 'the classics' or 'THEIR classics'? ~ How the Jackie Robinson Parade molded my take on saxophone, piano lessons
I’m not quite sure why he cared so much that I pay attention to him, but I was sitting at the piano, messing with a few keys. And he sat down next to me. I wasn’t supposed to be sitting in front of the piano anyway. My instrument of choice was the alto saxophone. I’d already learned to decently play the piano in elementary school, so I wanted to try being Black Lisa Simpson this go-round.
The problem is I was bored with both instruments. The Jackie Robinson Parade had black high schools coming together to dance and bust out the latest hip-hop and R&B hits. But our high school music teacher, even though he was the leader of our marching band, wanted us to learn “the classics” first. It was dull and reminded me of dreadful piano classes in elementary school. I would not be joining Kenny G and Lisa Simpson in the musical Hall of Fame.
3. If you enjoy firing people, please don’t work in HR ~ “Roy’s Job Fair” brought up two types of HR people —only one of which we need more of
When people are hired, they’re not meant to be your friends. They’re definitely not blood relatives. And the goal is to find someone qualified and compatible with the company. So there will always be ups and downs. Even I have been the person who was hired, the person who quit, the person who was laid off and even the person who was fired.
Because I’ve been on both sides, at some point, you just get used to it. You go into the hiring process knowing that some people simply won’t work out. No matter how impeccable the resume looks, that doesn’t mean that person will work out well for the job. Still, I’m never happy about it. Ever. So I found the hiatus episode of “Roy’s Job Fair” disturbing — although I’m a huge fan of Roy Wood Jr. If you’ve never listened to the job-themed podcast, the co-hosts talk about job openings, job firings, job scams and workplace banter.
4. Black folks, stop doing the work of white supremacists ~ The Africa versus African American conflict needs to stop
Still, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve watched films about slavery. My elementary school was Condoleezza Rice’s worst nightmare. I saw “Roots” before I was in eighth grade, read “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” in sixth grade and our class took a field trip to see the 1992 film starring Denzel Washington. We were unapologetically black kids—with a biracial Italian girl and a biracial Mexican girl—who loved to talk about black history. Anti-CRT people may have had a stroke just at the sight of us.
The one thing we did not do in any of my classes—teachers or students—was pit ourselves against African people. If anything, we were rolling out the verbal red carpet to meet as many as we could. That was definitely ammunition for my pen pal crew.
5. Be grateful for the company that fired you ~ The nightmare for-profit company that reduced clothing waste and wasted my time
I knew this manager was going to be a challenge to work for less than a month into the work. She’d complained nonstop about one newspaper I worked for and how a news report was terrible public relations for them. I smiled when I saw the journalist who wrote it. She was my boss’ longtime girlfriend, and she was always friendly to me. But when my new boss asked me did I know her, I downplayed it slightly, “Yeah, name looks familiar.”
The actual news report was true though. The company, a for-profit “reusable” clothing organization, had clothing bins all over the City of Chicago. They seemed to have popped up out of nowhere. While people thought they were donating to charity, what they were really doing was collecting clothes that looked almost new to sell them elsewhere.
6. Make your landlord rich or find a permanent home ~ The “American” question I was asked that made me question public school and black wealth
“You are from America, aren’t you?” he asked, gazing down at me. I sat on a garden stone and leaned my back against the bricks surrounding the outside of my kitchen window.
“Born and raised in Chicago, south side,” I responded, mildly irritated that my citizenship was being questioned. “Why did you ask me that?”
“I don’t understand why you weren’t trying to buy property years ago,” he said. “That’s what I always knew about America. Buy homes. Get money. I thought everybody in America did that.”
I paused. He was born and raised in Mexico, and I’m sure he was telling his truth. But I was a bit offended and mildly embarrassed by his explanation. It felt like he was challenging my educational background for not buying a house fresh out of high school. I tried to figure out the most diplomatic way to both answer his question and make him understand why property ownership was not the first thing on my mind growing up.
7. Black condo board members, the housing discrimination continues ~ Be prepared for ‘we don’t work there’ emails and anonymous rants
My motto as a renter, board member and/or condo owner has always been the same: “I’m not about to beg you to pay you.” If a contractor becomes too much of a hassle to deal with — and keep in mind that they may be getting a laundry list of calls and emails, so be reasonably patient — know that there are always competitors.
Never get so hung up on proving that someone is discriminating against you that you forget to pay attention to the competitors who would love your business and your money. If you put all of your energy into pointing fingers at discriminatory companies, sure, you may air them out. But that’s what mystery shoppers and reporters are for. While investigating this behavior can be draining and counterproductive to your larger goal, keep in mind that you still need your own home improvement work done. Prioritize.
8. First 16 black Evanston residents chosen for housing reparations ~ Illinois is first to offer reparations to African-American families
Evanston’s Reparations Committee kept its word on continuing to review 122 applicants who qualified as “ancestors” for the Illinois town’s Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program. WTTW reports that Evanston, Illinois has finally chosen its first group of 16 Black residents to receive reparations.
The program is reportedly set to distribute $10 million over 10 years using tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales. The $25K housing benefits can be used for several housing options—a down payment on a home, home repairs, or to cover interest and late penalties.
In March 2021, the City of Evanston focused on discriminatory practices from 1900 to 1960 that affected African Americans’ housing options, employment, education and policing. As the first of its kind and established in 2019, only one out of eight City Council members voted against the housing funds.
“Deuces” ~ “I Do See Color” newsletter’s bonus interviews:
1. “Chicago VP Tech Recruiter Gives Tips For IT Job Seekers,” CBS Chicago, November 24, 2014
Manufacturing jobs have transitioned workers from standing in front of an assembly line like robots to operating robots on an assembly line. The pay isn't too shabby either.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary ranges from $48K to $102K. But just getting a degree in the internet technology field may not automatically secure employment.
"Focus on building relationships," said Nashunda Bolden, Vice President of Black Data Processing Association (BDPA)'s Chicago chapter. "A lot of times when students graduate from college, they feel like their degree in Information Technology is going to take them far. They get really disappointed when they start filling out applications and nobody is responding."
2. “Psychotherapist In Chicago Has 'Aha Moment' Wearing Pantyhose,” CBS Chicago, November 17, 2014
When Pat Windsor, LCSW, started her grad school internship, the last thing she was thinking about was how her pantyhose would be a distraction.
"I was sitting in on a group watching one of the other therapists and different members in the group," said Windsor. "I had my legs crossed. I noticed that one of the group participants was running his hand down my leg, and I almost freaked out."
After composing herself and talking with the therapist she was shadowing, she said she had three of Oprah Winfrey's "Aha Moments" - wear pants, be prepared to deal with different mental health conditions and treat patients like people instead of case studies.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote,” “Tickled,” “We Need To Talk” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday.
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