You know, I had an interesting experience this weekend- a la race. We're looking for a second property- a rental- and my real estate person is a black woman. I met her at an open house, and I really liked her, and she's been emailing me houses for months- and now we're starting to look.
Well we went out this weekend, and I couldn't believe how rude some other agents were to my agent. I don't mean just a little rude. I mean that I, a white person (and thus rather oblivious to the undercurrents that must be there), felt it. After the second incident I said "Look, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I've never seen anyone get treated this way. Does this happen often? Do you think it's because you're black and this is a predominantly white suburb?"
She said yes. She said some people are just lovely, but there's a lot of that sort of rudeness. I honestly didn't know it was there. I know my hispanic students get mistaken for gang bangers and are rudely treated- but they are young, and people have trouble telling young hispanic males apart- but this is a middle aged, middle class woman, dressed very nicely, with nice manners.
I just really didn't know.
She grew up in Birmingham Alabama, and she says she's "used to it"- but how sad is that? I don't think this nice woman should have to be "used to it". Yikes. Obama is even more important than I thought he was. |
