By Deliriousindc
“May I help you, ladies?”
“No!” I snapped. “We’re fine. Leave us alone.” The clerk backed away.
“What was that about?” my friend asked.
“She’s been following me around the store for Shopping While Black. I’m sick of that shit.”
“No, she hasn’t. She was on the other side folding shirts. She came to see if we needed help.”
“How would you know? You’ve never been profiled, Snow White.”
“At least I’m not paranoid.”
“Paranoid? Here’s your paranoid.”
As security escorted us from the store, I smirked in triumph. “What did I tell you?”
My former friend looked down and sighed.
Well observed. I know someone…
Thanks for your comment. There are two ways of looking at the same situation and both could be right depending upon perspective. I think it’s important to discuss that.
A living example of a micro aggression. Many of us could and probably have already been aggressors, victims and bystanders. This a huge issue for many people whether they recognize it or not Check out episode -9 of this season’s show “Blackish” to see what micro aggressions look like in the workplace. Also check out (you can google this one)-“A guide to responding to microaggessions” by K.L. Nadel–thoughtful and practical observations.
We are all works in progress.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Rita. One question I wanted to pose is how often do we perceive microaggressions where none exist. And I love your point that many of us have been aggressors as well as victims — I know that because my limited range of knowledge, I have victimized others just as I have been victimized. I think the solution is to be more willing to exchange information with others and less willing to succumb to immediate outrage.
Us “Snow Whites” have no idea. Well done!
Thanks for your comment. Don’t count “Snow White” out just yet. There are two ways of looking at the same thing and it is important to understand her perspective.
I like the idea that she feels vindicated by her perception. It makes the story work!
Thanks for your comment. To me her sense of vindication reinforces the concept of “self fulfilling prophecy”.
I really like this one, though I’m a little confused at what happened at the end.
But yeah, a very good story.
Thanks for your comment. This story has turned out to be kind of a Rosarch test with different people seeing different things. I intended that the friends got into a fight at the store over whether or not there was racial profiling and both were forced to leave the store. One friend took their expulsion as vindication of racial profiling, the other thought it was evidence of her friend’s paranoia. The incident destroyed the friendship.
Rorschach test
Thank you. I get it now.
Again, I really enjoyed your story.
The two friends appear to have been shopping together, suggesting a possibility that the clerk’s offer of help was not directed to one and not the other. The clerk did not appear to suspect shop-lifting, but stopped folding shirts to try to be helpful. An apparent disturbance between the two resulted in the expulsion of both of them from the store, no arrest. Racial profiling seems imagined, but not real — this time!
Bang on. I wanted to create a situation where either interpretation could be valid.and the friends’ inability to see things from the others’ perspective destroyed the friendship. Thanks so much for your comment
its true this story can be seen in two ways. Its funny how different people see different things in this story because it depends on their life experiences. One perspective, which could be reality, is to see absolutely nothing wrong in what the clerk did and racial profiling as imagined. But when you have personally experienced racial profiling in a store or at a restaurant when you were not with snow white or prince charming, the perspective is not paranoia but reality.
Thanks for your comment. Those of us who have experienced racial profiling often wind up second guessing ourselves in different situations. The outcome of this situation is that because neither woman will validate the others’ viewpoint, the friendship is destroyed.