New KB's corner.

This is a great read, yet another great by kb to bring attenion to an issue that does get much.


Kb's Corner, Racism in Duluth

According to one of the regular bloggers on the Duluth Citizen's Blog there is no more racism in Duluth.Hmm...quite a statement. Here it is in his words, and I'm guessing he's not a "person of color". JBBP writes: "I am sickened by how certain individuals like to keep throwing up race, sexual orientation, gender, and whatever cards that do little else but revictimize the classes of people they are supposed to represent.

This latest lawsuit paints people with one big wide brush, trying to make it appear that Little Stores wouldn't hire this guy because he's black, when in fact a background investigation revealed that he had a criminal record." (What he fails to tell the reader is that the criminal record was not a consideration what so ever when the decision was made not to hire this man. Little Stores did not know about that background, I'm not saying that it's right to withold information, but it was not a basis for their decision.) "It makes it appear that racism is alive and well in the City of Duluth, when in reality, it's not." (I really don't know how he can make this claim. Being an Indian woman, born and raised here, I can assure you that racism is very much a part of life inDuluth. One example that I found quite obvious is within a certain high school, I have been told by school staff that if a white student gets in trouble the parents are called first, but if it's a black student, the first call is to the police. Now, if that's not racism, I don't know the definition of the word. This information came to me from avery reliable source. Also, from personal experience, I lost a job once because the district manager did not like Indians. This was before the Human Rights Commission, but it was racism none the less. I don't think that someone who has never experienced racism is in any position to state thatit's not a reality for those of us who deal with it regularly.) He goes on to say:

"The ones who are keeping racism alive are those who take and make opportunities to make something out of nothing, as in this case, and who want to rehash bitter days that are done and gone, such as the Clayton-Jackson-Macghee Memorial." Now, how would this "keep racism alive?" Because we do not want history to repeat? Because we want people to examineacts that were so repugnant, and based soley on the color of these men's skin? Racism is alive because white people with power choose to act on their predjudice. So, I'm interested in hearing if anyone else out there really thinks that racism does not exist in Duluth. Or, do you think it does? Are you someone who might face it? Comeon, I don't want to hear that someone from the majority white population is pissed off because they don't want to hear about it anymore. Face the predjudice, how do you treat people of color. And I'm not talking about that one special black dude or the indian guy that's your personal friend.I'm talking about the person who comes into your shop, or is walking down the street towards you late at night. What goes through your mind..and why?

Do you buy into the stereotypes, do you think I'm just a lazy drunk Indian? Or am I your vision of Pocahantas? It's interesting to think about why this man on this blog is so defensive about racism.