I've experienced open racism in my workplace. I work at a school where the student population is 99% black and the teachers are 50% black, 40% white, and 10% Indian/Asian. I had a superior last year tell me that my students don't respect me because I am white, although the same students would curse at her when she would try to reprimand them in the hall for improper uniforms/use of cell phones. I learned from a white co-worker that my department chair was saying bigoted things about whites and other races to her students. I've also noticed that my new principal seems to favor my black co-workers over non-black workers. Many of my students are not very respectful of the foreign teachers at my school. There are a few racist white teachers at my school and it boggles my mind because I wonder why the hell they would even take a job at my school. I try to keep my dating life on the DL at work because I don't want to be judged by my co-workers (white and black.) I have many black and white friends at my school and a very good rapport with my students. It frustrates me that some of them think I must be a closeted racist because I'm white (many assumed I voted for McCain.) We have a terrible history of racism in the U.S. The worst thing about oppressing a group of people, is that the oppressed begin to view leadership and control in terms of oppressing another group of people, which is exactly what many of them do if/when they gain power.
Given that she described racist attitudes by white and black co-workers, I'm not sure is such a delineation is apt. Discrimination is discrimination under any context.
Is that not a sackable offense? That certainly seems to be the case on a lot of occassions. But I feel sometimes the evening out of opportunities can be confused with oppression, by the original oppressors.Not talking about America specifically, mean this generally..
