Wow. One person keeps sending comments about the incident at Easy, and no, I didn't post them. First, the matter is a painful one for me. Second, this person not of color doesn't seem to get that. Third, I made my point. Fourth, the owner sent an appology. Fifth, the person wasn't there. Sixth, someone else made the same "explain it away" comment -- with insults.
Enough.
What's equally hard for me to experience is the constant example of the racial dvide that exists -- and is growing -- in Oakland as based on the fact that African Americans I talk to understand what I experienced and some -- not all by any stretch, thank God -- white Oaklanders try to explain the matter away.
Again, the owner of Easy emailed an appology.
When I was a columnist with the Montclarion, we didn't publish every letter we received, but we knew who wrote it. By contrast, the people who tend to comment don't want you to know who they are, which (they think) leaves them with the freedom to write anything they want to, and generally it's bad. That's not good.
I've even had one person engage in what the Oakland police call "cyberstalking" -- I know this 'cause I informed them. The person was one real nut case.
You know what's interesting is the Bay Area seems unique in its supply of people who are white who will tell you as a black person that what you experienced wasn't racism. The best example being Mark Fairnu-Wada and Lance Williams who, in their book "Game of Shadows" explain that Barry Bonds never really experienced racism because he had white friends and dated white women.
I'm not making that up. Read the book.
Wild!
Enough.
What's equally hard for me to experience is the constant example of the racial dvide that exists -- and is growing -- in Oakland as based on the fact that African Americans I talk to understand what I experienced and some -- not all by any stretch, thank God -- white Oaklanders try to explain the matter away.
Again, the owner of Easy emailed an appology.
When I was a columnist with the Montclarion, we didn't publish every letter we received, but we knew who wrote it. By contrast, the people who tend to comment don't want you to know who they are, which (they think) leaves them with the freedom to write anything they want to, and generally it's bad. That's not good.
I've even had one person engage in what the Oakland police call "cyberstalking" -- I know this 'cause I informed them. The person was one real nut case.
You know what's interesting is the Bay Area seems unique in its supply of people who are white who will tell you as a black person that what you experienced wasn't racism. The best example being Mark Fairnu-Wada and Lance Williams who, in their book "Game of Shadows" explain that Barry Bonds never really experienced racism because he had white friends and dated white women.
I'm not making that up. Read the book.
Wild!
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