“Happy, belated Juneteenth!” my roommate says to me, she’s standing confident but a hint of confusion still lingers behind her words. I’m washing the dishes, it’s nine thirty pm, I’m the only black one in the house, I’ve got work in the morning, she just interrupted SZA snatching my edges, and it’s June 21st. Who knew moving into a CoOp in Austin, Texas full of 25 white people would bring me so much stress? I would guess hindsight is 20/20.
A CoOp, otherwise known as community living. Washing laundry, sharing bathrooms, sharing bedrooms, sharing dishes, sharing space in general; you know, things white people do. With the incentive of cheap rent I, a young black woman took the plunge, packed and signed the lease. Six months in and I have never related to that black guy with the mustache from The Office more than I do now.
You see, this CoOp is a whiteivity, or “white activity” and with the current president, it is a concrete concept that us black people have to be increasingly wary of, even more so than before. Though I disagree with the notion that black people cannot and should not enjoy certain white related activities, I do believe that black people should put on the whole armor of blackness when engaging.
Exhibit A, I live with ten white females and two Asians, some democrats, and some republicans. Sounds diverse right? Not really because that was sarcasm. Though I have found friends and perhaps even something balancing on the close friend spectrum, I find myself wary of becoming their live entertainment and key to all things black. No, I will not teach you the latest “lingo”, no I will not let you use my shea butter, no I will not go two stepping with you, and no…no you cannot touch my hair. All of these things I’m sure an infinite amount of black people have heard or dealt with their entire lives. However then I’m left to wonder,
“How many of these people voted for Trump?”
Before this reign of terror otherwise known as American democracy, white ignorance and disdain seemed to be opaque; not something you immediately concluded based off of a yes or no answer. Now when they answer swirls of racist ideologies and general bad taste slap you the brown off you when they answer. What ever happened to good ‘ol basic racism am I right?
I’m sure you’ve noticed, once white people are given a voice, or a louder speaker rather they utilize it better than even they could’ve imagined. It’s a separation, whether you like it or not, that is still noticeably destroying the black community’s desire to just play golf on a Sunday afternoon or sit unbothered watching while watching NASCAR. No, I must admit Trump induced friction while enjoying whiteivities is not the greatest issue facing black people in this country but it is something that crept up, blossomed, and is now weeding its way through daily endeavors.
So happy Juneteenth everyone, I’ve only got six more months left on my lease.
