I grew up around alot of racism and this is what I know

[upaloopa]

5. I grew up in a poor white family in a poor white neighborhood. African Americans live on the west

side of town. We didn't mix much at all. My dad took me over to the "west side" when he wanted his car fixed for a low price. He bought food at the street market on the west side.

My dad was a factory worker all his life and acted like a racist. I could not understand why he did business on the "west side" when he hated the residents there so much. Then one time a Black family was going to move to our block. All the neighbors had meeting and tried to buy the house so the Black family couldn't move in. My dad would not go along with it mostly because he didn't have any money to contribute.

We were surrounded by factory workers and I learned that their racism came from sense that they were so low on the totem that they had to have someone lower than they were. My dad did never taught me to be a racist. I think he only acted out of the need to be accepted by others in his group.

After I went with my dad to the "west side" and came home I got on my bicycle and rode to the
"west side" to see what all the separation was about. I saw a lot of people who looked poorer than me. Over time I learned about what so many here call White privilege. I never felt superior to anyone in my life and learned a lot about what life was like in the Black community.

I think I learned that I could not help being born a white male and any privilege I got was given to me. I had nothing to do about that other than how I treated other people.