Reverse Racism

Reverse Racism is alive and well.

Oh, yes, I'm going there!

I just want to get this off my chest...

So I was walking into work from the parking lot yesterday, when a co-worker asked if I could help her bring in some items from her car. I said, "Sure, I'd be happy to help!" She loaded me up with several bags of great smelling food - all in styrofoam containers. My goodness, it smelled awesome! Meanwhile she was saying as we walked in, "Thanks so much for your help. You're a lifesaver. I'd have had to make another trip out to the car if it weren't for you."

I said she was more than welcome, and made it clear it was no trouble for me to help out.

She put all the food in the refrigerator, and that was that.

Or so I thought.

A few hours later, a girl on my team came over to talk to me, and said co-worker's name came up (they are of the same race). The girl explained the co-worker loved to cook and this woman had cooked all this food for her birthday this past weekend, and she'd brought the left-overs in for her team. That was nice of her, I thought.

Imagine my surprise today when I saw my teammate, in the break-room with another woman (of the same race as her), eating lunch from the styrofoam containers I'd helped my co-worker bring in the day before!

So much for bringing in the extras for her teammates. So much for offering me a little something for helping her the other morning. Now she was sharing the left-overs with two other women, who were from two different teams. The connection? They were all the same race.

Glad to know I could help.

Yeah, maybe that sounds harsh, but it's not the first time it's happened to me. I've been treated differently by a boss who was not of the same race, and I notice how some folks tend to associate with others only of their same race. But that's not me and that is not how I think. I treat everyone equally. I try to treat everyone the same, regardless of race, color, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, etc.

But when I see this going on, well, I wonder why some folks wonder why they don't get treated fairly and equally be everyone else, if their claim is such. It's no wonder to me. Yeah, I get it - our race treated their race poorly in the past - but come on. How long must I pay for the mistakes of our forefathers when that is not my beliefs at all? Why am I being judged before I've had a chance to prove myself otherwise? If others have felt what I've felt, then we're destined to keep repeating this vicious, prejudiced cycle and nobody will benefit.

Hmph.

Okay, soapbox session is over!!