Who’s out of touch? Not I. I wouldn’t call you stupid, not when you’ve done me the honour of granting me that status. I would just call you “over-generalising” and not looking in context.

Not everything is about race. If I am a white man and I walk my dog and it shies away from a black child and an asian child and a russian immigrant child and my own white niece and my adopted chinese daughter, is my dog racist, does it mean i train my dog to be racist, does that make me racist? NO! It means my dog is shy with strangers and it shies away from everyone of all races that it doesn’t know. But according yo you, Americans would look at race in EVERYTHING IN LIFE and see this as a racist incident. According to you, Black Americans would look at this incident as a racist incident that they are subjected to every single day of their life.

If I am a black woman with an Asian friend and she told me she found great shoes for herself and showed me the shoes, would I feel that she and those shoes are racist if they are dark brown shoes that happen to be close to my skin colour? Would I think that she DELIBERATELY bought those shoes to insult my race and be racist towards all blacks? NO! It just means she bought them because she liked them. But according to you, Americans would look at race in EVERYTHING IN LIFE
and see this as a racist incident. According to you, Black Americans
would look at this incident as a racist incident that they are subjected to every single day of their life.

If I am Asian woman with a black friend and she told me she found a pale beige dress, and she showed me that dress, would I feel that she and that dress is racist if the beige of that dress is close to my skin colour? Would I think that she DELIBERATELY bought that dress to insult my race and to be racist towards all people of my race? NO! It means she liked that dress and it looks good on her and she wanted it. But according to you, Americans would look at race in EVERYTHING IN LIFE
and see this as a racist incident. According to you, Black Americans
would look at this incident as a racist incident be shocked that one of their kind has acted in a racist way to which they are subjected to every single day of their life.

If I were a Burmese lady and I wore my national dress to a party in America, would I be offended if blacks and whites and other Asians complimented me on my dress? NO! I would be flattered. But according to you, Americans would look at race in EVERYTHING IN LIFE
and see this as a racist incident. According to you, Black Americans
would look at this incident as a racist incident and would feel sorry for the Burmese woman for nothing that she has been subjected to racism that they are subjected to every single day of their life.

If I were a non-black but I like Calypso music, am I racist for saying so? NO! It just means I like it for its rhythm and danceable tune. But according to you, Americans would look at race in EVERYTHING IN LIFE
and see this as a racist incident and would accuse me of being racist for liking it. According to you, Black Americans
would look at this incident as a racist incident and think that I am racist and mocking them by liking something that is NOT of my own culture/race. According to you, Black Americans would be offended by me admitting that I like Calypso because they would interpret my liking Calypso as a lie that I made up to insult their race and music and they would think it’s no different from the racism that they are subjected to every single day of their life

Examples of everyday things not about race, but white people make it so.

CASE 1 – Play with accents

In an amatuer production of Suddenly, Last Summer, all the roles were taken by different races. Violet Venable was played by an Asian woman, John Cukrowicz by a black man, Catherine by a Hispanic woman, her brother by a white. The Asian woman puts on a Southern belle accent to play Violet, the black man puts on a transatlantic accent, and the woman playing Catherine puts on a New Orleans slight French Southern accent. The cast have no problems with it. White persons watching the rehearsals complain that the Asian woman AND the Hispanic woman have fake accents that are insulting to the people they portray. The white persons also complain that the cast, the director are insulting southerners by letting something like this happen and endorsing the accents put on by the Asian and Hispanic women in the play. Even when proof is shown that colourblind casting was used and the play’s setting requires such accents, the whites still complain about how offensive and racially insensitive it is to southerners. When it is revealed that the Asian, black and Hispanic amateur actors are good with accents and pull off Russian, German, Australian and French accents, the white people are further incensed and accuse these amateur thespians of being racist because these whites think these thespians are mocking the people whose accents they don for various parts when necessary. They especially get on the case of the black man for being racist with his talent for accents because he should know better given his people’s history in America. The cast, the director and so on do not see it as it racist, but the white people attending the rehearsals do. Curiously, they DO NOT attack the white man playing Catherine’s brother for being racist even though he had to put on a Southern accent to play the part. They said he was true to the role. They then suggested as sensitive non-racists who fear other people might take issue with the play like them, perhaps the Asian and hispanic women should be dropped as they might be inappropriate for the play. They suggested that if the director wanted to be truly colour blind, he would use a cast that is all of the same colour, i.e. all blacks, all asian, all hispanic.

So, a colour blind casting and no one being racist, and everyone doing their bit in the play as required of them in the script and setting, but white people coming in, saying they are non-racist, but seeing race in everything and accusing other non-white races of being racist/insulting/offensive.

CASE 2 – Guy fallen down

A black teenager skateboarding in the park falls down. A Vietnamese-American woman sees it and helps him. He has a wound, so she gives him a plaster (you will call it a band aid, if you are American, I think). That plaster has Tweety on it. Black kid sees it and laughs saying that it’s cute, and thanks her. He asks why Tweety and she replies humourously that she doesnt have any other plasters with other cartoon characters if he wants them. He says it’s fine and he likes Tweety too, and he used to watch the cartoons when he was a child, and thanks her for her help.

The white people witnessing this approach the woman when she moves off AND they get on this woman’s case for giving the black youngster a plaster that is NOT of his skin colour. They tell her it’s insulting and offensive and racist of HER to not give him one of his skin colour. What’s worse, according to them, is that she is “insensitive” for giving him a Tweety plaster because she is endorsing her own skin colour (yellow) by using Tweety and that is why it is insulting of her to give that plaster to that kid who is not of her colour.

So, a woman tries to be decent and humane and helps out another fellow human. There is nothing about race here. It is one person helping another. But white people seeing this, feel obliged to subtly tell this woman off for not being non-racist like them. In fact, white witnesses have subtly accused her of being a “yellow skinned supremacist” because she uses Tweety plasters and they have accused her of being racist by not giving him a plaster that matches his skin colour.

Again, this is a case of white people who believe themselves non-racist, but seeing race in everything and accusing other non-white races of being racist/insulting/offensive to blacks.

CASE 3 – Supermarket cashier counter

There is an Express lane in a supermarket checkout. The lane has a big sign above the cash register saying that the express lane is only for people with fewer than 5 items. This is for people to make quick purchases without standing in line too long.

Everyone in the queue does have 5 items at the most and the black cashier handles their purchases quickly. But along comes an Indian lady with a trolley full of things. That trolley has more than 5 things. People in the queue behind her stare, but are too polite to tell her that this is the express lane. When this lady comes to the cashier, she is told very politely that the express lane is only for people with a maximum of 5 items and the cashier points to the sign above. Indian lady apologises and says she did not see the sign and she feels awful that she nearly held up the queue behind her because she has many purchases. She then goes to another non-express lane checkout queue.

White people in other lanes see this and complain that the black cashier is racist for refusing to serve the Indian lady. Even though the situation is explained to them and other people of other races in the express lane explain it to them, they continue to say so and kick up a fuss. They even accuse the other customers in the express lane of being racist for not demanding that the cashier serve the Indian lady.

Again, an issue that is not about race, but white people who think of themselves as non-racist see race in everyday things and accuse other people of being racist.

CASE 4 – Making homemade facial wash

Mediterranean lady with acne has a beautiful black friend. She then says to her friend, “You have really good skin; it’s so clear and supple. I have breakouts and nothing I do works. I eat right and exercise, and I have sensitive skin, but those products aren’t heavy duty enough for me. What do you recommend?”

Black lady friend replies that the heavy duty stuff are too strong and the sensitive skin products are too mild. She says she makes her own facial wash and shares the recipe of honey, oatmeal and egg white and so on with her Mediterranean friend.

White people hear this conversation and get on the case of the Mediterranean lady by accusing her of being racist for complimenting the black lady’s skin. These white people accuse of her saying that she likes the black skin colour by calling it “good”; they accuse her of being racist for pointing out skin colour of the black person. When both Mediterranean and black women explain things, the whites continue to accuse the Mediterranean woman of being racist on another score, i.e., being ignorant (unlike them- the whites) that black homeotherapy skincare is different from the skincare of other races and it’s insulting to the black woman to ask for help with skin that is not of her colour.

By this point, black woman gets angry that white people made something that is NOT about colour into something that is about colour.

Again, in this instance, White people who believe themselves to be non-racist, interfering in an everyday conversation that is NOT about race and turn into something that is about race.

CASE 5 – Hair braids

A black woman with her hair tied in an elaborate braid only seen in wedding pictures walks down the street. An asian woman with long hair sees it and thinks it beautiful. She tells the black woman that she loves that braid and she would like to learn to do it on her own hair. Black woman sees that Asian woman has long hair and says, “your hair is long enough for this style, i’ll teach you.”

White people see this and accuse the Asian woman of being racist. “Don’t you know that black hair is kinky and in complimenting her hair, you are drawing attention to how different her hair is from yours! You can’t do that! It’s racist!”

Asian woman says she was only looking at the braid and thinking how lovely it is. She is then accused by these white people of being MORE racist because they say, “Don’t you know that some styles are only suitable for black people’s hair? That braid can only be done on hair texture isn’t limp and straight like yours!”

Asian woman then retorts that it’s not true and she was taught how to tie that braid. White people then accuse her of MORE RACISM because they say, “When you braid your hair that way, people can see it is something ONLY dome by blacks. You will be insulting black people by braiding your hair that way.”

Black woman tells them to bugger off because a braid is a braid and it’s rubbish to say one braid is suitable for white people’s hair, but not suitable for other races, and one braid is suitable for black people’s hair but not other races. White people are aghast that black woman doesnt feel that Asian woman is racist. They tell her pitifully that she must be excusing the Asian woman for not knowing better and they go off cautioning the Asian woman to never pull “the shit” she did with the black woman again.

Again, white people who believe themselves to be non-racist turning an everyday incident that is NOT about race into one that is by accusing another non-white race of being racist. But in doing so, the white people have shown themselves to be unconsciously racist.