Reply #57: Yes, it was frightening

[Blue Diadem]

Twenty years ago we sold our home to a black couple. Our neighbor's became hateful the day the young couple came to look at the house. As we were shaking their hands outside, the neighbor began blasting his music, something he'd never done before. As the young couple drove away, our phone began to ring and the threats began. Our family and house were threatened and my kids were terrified. Our sold sign had to be removed due to the nastiness and hate written on it. Some neighbors were bold enough to knock on our door and confront us, suffice it to say I told them exactly what I thought of them.

We moved to a small rural town and since then we've attended a town dinner where the mayor told racist jokes and in later years a town meeting where people complained about a "minority" owned company doing work in town. The last job I held, my boss asked me if I considered a black person equal to him(a latino)and he became angry when I told him yes all people are equal. He later explained that he was upset that his white step-daughter was dating a black kid. His wife had left him telling him she'd married him, so how could she tell her daughter not to date a black man.

Earlier, I worked for an electronics store with a nutso for a boss. One day I was showing a black man a small radio and my boss marched in and began screaming where did the display radio go. He made quite a scene, saying repeatedly that he knew SOMEONE had stole it. I kept trying to move my customer away from the area but he looked at me with tears in his eyes and quietly said I didn't take it. I told him I knew he didn't and that I was so very sorry for what was happening. That manager was later fired..for not only that but also physically assaulting me.

A few years ago, my daughter went on several job interviews and at two different places, race was mentioned in derogatory ways.

edited to add that even though I'm white, I feel the hurt each time I hear or see these things happen. I know it may not be the same hurt a black person feels but it cuts deep in my soul.