11/5/08--- not even a day after the election of our first black president comes the very first white person to feel the sting of what it means to offend a black person in these times. I was soooo stunned that my boss asked me to put it in writing and he'll make a decision on what to do today. Comments please:
Good morning Josh & Brandon,
I know that this is an unpleasant situation; it’s not a great day for me either. I wish I wouldn’t have to be speaking to you two about this at all, but hopefully this will bring about a swift resolution.
The time was around 9:46 a.m.; Amy was on the phone with a customer who had called in. The customer, I know had called in, in response to a message Amy left for them yesterday because she began saying, “The reason I called you yesterday was because….” I didn’t have my heater on yet so I could hear everything going on in the office. I then heard her lower her voice and say, “Well, to me, the first issue is that he’s a “Black Man”, the second is that his name sounds like an Arab name”, she then began to spell out his last name to prove that Obama was an Arab name. Then she said, “I’m just scared to death. I know he’ll be assassinated soon”!
When she said that, I said, “OH MY GOD” very loudly!!! Then she tried to get louder and stopped whispering, but then said, “I just don’t think people thought this through, I’m just really concerned about our country”. I looked back at Russ and said, “Did you hear what she just said???” He shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t hear her. I just got up and ran into Kristie’s office crying and shaking because I was so angry! I looked back and she was running into Tom’s office saying something to him. I couldn’t believe that she said what she said. For the first time since I started working at GoKeyless, I feel uncomfortable being the only black person in the office. I’ve never felt this way before; I just can’t understand the racist frame of mind. Although the customer she was speaking with agreed with everything she said, I just couldn’t believe she would number one, speak that way with a customer & two, say something so racist with me just two cubicles down!!
When I first got hired she made a joke about an Indian person she was speaking with saying, “They’re Indian, what do you expect”. I called her out on that then because I didn’t want her or anybody to be comfortable cracking jokes about people’s race. I’m probably one third of every race there is on earth, so you almost can’t make a joke about any race and not offend me.
In conclusion, if you’d like to know what I want to see happen with Amy, I’ll take an excerpt from one of Barack Obama’s campaign ads and say, “Amy Payton, you just can’t afford more of the same”. Have a blessed day!
I know that this is an unpleasant situation; it’s not a great day for me either. I wish I wouldn’t have to be speaking to you two about this at all, but hopefully this will bring about a swift resolution.
The time was around 9:46 a.m.; Amy was on the phone with a customer who had called in. The customer, I know had called in, in response to a message Amy left for them yesterday because she began saying, “The reason I called you yesterday was because….” I didn’t have my heater on yet so I could hear everything going on in the office. I then heard her lower her voice and say, “Well, to me, the first issue is that he’s a “Black Man”, the second is that his name sounds like an Arab name”, she then began to spell out his last name to prove that Obama was an Arab name. Then she said, “I’m just scared to death. I know he’ll be assassinated soon”!
When she said that, I said, “OH MY GOD” very loudly!!! Then she tried to get louder and stopped whispering, but then said, “I just don’t think people thought this through, I’m just really concerned about our country”. I looked back at Russ and said, “Did you hear what she just said???” He shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t hear her. I just got up and ran into Kristie’s office crying and shaking because I was so angry! I looked back and she was running into Tom’s office saying something to him. I couldn’t believe that she said what she said. For the first time since I started working at GoKeyless, I feel uncomfortable being the only black person in the office. I’ve never felt this way before; I just can’t understand the racist frame of mind. Although the customer she was speaking with agreed with everything she said, I just couldn’t believe she would number one, speak that way with a customer & two, say something so racist with me just two cubicles down!!
When I first got hired she made a joke about an Indian person she was speaking with saying, “They’re Indian, what do you expect”. I called her out on that then because I didn’t want her or anybody to be comfortable cracking jokes about people’s race. I’m probably one third of every race there is on earth, so you almost can’t make a joke about any race and not offend me.
In conclusion, if you’d like to know what I want to see happen with Amy, I’ll take an excerpt from one of Barack Obama’s campaign ads and say, “Amy Payton, you just can’t afford more of the same”. Have a blessed day!
2 comments:
Wow! You know I have mixed feelings about that. In a way it's good to know where this heifer stands. You know there are so many people like her, that smile in your face and you know the rest. But I totally agree that you should have been angry and upset. To top it all off, you are the only Black person in the office so that has to be very uncomfortable. So this just goes to show that ignorant people are still among us and will continue to test us. Keep your head up.
Ita with Bianca. I had this same kind of day on 11/5... No one's fired of course, but there was so much whispering & ignorance and all I kept hearing was Obama... shhh, she might hear. The state of this country... He'll be impeached. I HAVE A BIG MOUTH! I finally got p/o'd & told them (and just like u I'm the only Black in my office) that I don't clown whenever the new "Racist Cookie Cutter Republicans" are elected. I still come to work and do my job and leave my personal issues outside, but TODAY OF ALL DAYS Y'ALL WANNA TEST ME!!! Honey I had white folks scattering every which-a-way. lol But you just keep doing u my dear. Don't let em steal your joy!
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