DYSPEPSIA GENERATION

We have seen the future, and it sucks.

Four Anecdotes About Racethink

28th January 2015

Read it.

While the announcer was rightfully scourged for this ellipsis of common sense, I find to my dismay that if you google the phrase, there are still people using it. I wonder what term we will use in the future to distinguish African Americans from other nations versus African Americans from America or African Americans from Africa?

Likewise, my friend, born in South Africa, stepping into the student union hall for African American students on her campus on a hot day, to sit in a chair, panting, and enjoy the air conditioning, when she was peremptorily commanded to leave by a black woman, because this was the African American Student Union. My friend was unable to restrain her outrage, and shouted in her delightful British accent, “You fools! I am the only African in this room!”

I am reminded of the white kid from Tanzania, 3d generation in that country, whose first language was KiSwahili, being turned down for a scholarship that was reserved for students ‘of African descent’.

2 Responses to “Four Anecdotes About Racethink”

  1. braley carroll Says:

    I got a 404 error on the link. is there a better link?

  2. Tim of Angle Says:

    Fixed now. Usually WordPress adds the “http://” but every now and then it doesn’t and I have to add it manually.