Antiracism crisis.

[rainonpavement]

Fuck! So I've been taking the Earn A Bike course at Bikes Not Bombs in Roxbury (For those of you who aren't from the Boston area Roxbury is to Boston what Harlem is to New York.) I'm the only white youth in the course. There are both youth and adult instructors who are more racially diverse. Anyways there is this one youth instructor who is a 16

Comments

[singeraf800]

I really don't think your being classist or racist. I've met plenty of kids who go to good bording schools, are middle class and have everything one could ever need or want in life yet, they can't seem to have thoose "educated meaningful conversations." So, I really doubt that class has anything to do with it. Are you sure you wouldn't be able to have that kind of conversation with her. Try to start one, ask her what she thinks of Bush or somthing like that. I think you did the right thing telling her friend you don't know X well enough to tell if you like her or not. It's best not to rush things. Even more so if her way of telling you she's into you is through a 12 year-old (then again,we've all done it at least once). Good luck!

[rainonpavement]

You raise a good point in that education and intelligence are often very different and that class doesn't always determine who has it/them however I don't think either are integrally part of anyone person and priveledge opens a lot of opportunity to realize intellectual potential. As for the 12-year-old, yeah I can't find a reason why that isn't a really awkward and generally shitty thing to do.

[shapedkitten]

I don't think it has anything to do with being 'classist' or 'racist.' If you're not attracted to her, you're not attracted to her (physically or mentally, etc.) I totally understand what you're saying, Mike. But you also can't force yourself to have feelings for someone if you don't. If there is no spark on your part, then that's that...don't feel like shit because of it. If you feel that you and her are on different levels when it comes to things, that's just the way it is. Be real with yourself, and then you will be able to be real with others.

[rainonpavement]

I appreciate the support and I agree that of course I can't force myself to like someone and I know that I've done that far too many times in my life, However as to being racist and classist, I don't question that I am indeed both, and I think all white people/people with social class are, Its all we've ever known, what I question is how I can uproot my racism and classism and replace it with an Antiracist/Antiopressive way to live so that instead of ignoring institutional oppression I can do something to change it within myself.

[pantyraids]

I agree with everything Alina just said.

[embryo]

Mike, you're asking some awesome questions. I don't really have any answers, but I disagree with any suggestion that what you're noticing in yourself isn't worth talking about or is otherwise invalid. You're definitely right to ask these questions, regardless of whether your conclusions involves issues of race and class. But obviously, you know as well as I do that... how can it not? Maybe you should tell X that you'd like to get to know her better. She might not be as on-the-surface intellectual as you might be used to using as a standard, but like you said, you don't know her well enough to know what's really up...

[rainonpavement]

Thanks, thats what I was thinking too.

[exlevan]

i second what tim says. important questions, ones i've asked myself before, and never fully gotten answers to, but learned a lot from asking.

good luck in your processing.

-evan

[rainonpavement]

Y'all don't know how powerful it is to have older white male allies who I respect reinforcing my analysis. Thanks.

[_faoiltiama_]

i always try to simplify things like this. do you like her? if you wanna simplify it even more, are you attracted to her? or, the basic question, does she make you laugh? 'cause if she makes you laugh, it's hard to go wrong.

let me know how it goes, and if you'll be at the show in harvard square on monday.

[boxofsmallpox]

race, class, and all that jazz aside, you like who you like and nothing changes that.
and i like YOU.

[rainonpavement]

I like you too but I don't think its fair for white folk to put race and class aside because other people aren't always able to.