I have lived in many places throughout my life.
The island of Jamaica, then in the US, Brooklyn, Bronx, Upstate, Long Island, New Jersey, and Atlanta. All these places taught me a whole lot each time I moved. In most of these communities, I could see the line between black and white wealth.
The most recent experience was moving to Georgia for 7 months, where I saw both rich and poor black and white people. Then I moved back to NY, and the quantity of rich/well off black people decreased intensely while the quantity of whites in that category increased dramatically. This is causing me to experience a lot of depression and anxiety because I have seen firsthand the mental benefits that come when black people are financially secure.
A few weeks ago I was in Manhattan and got so upset. My husband tried to use the restroom in a building after his truck broke down, and was told no by various doormen and buildings. I saw hundreds of white folks going out to eat and enjoying the city amenities while the black people don’t have access to this luxury because of age-old systematic and institutional racism.
The overwhelming majority of people moving in and out of Manhattan high rises are white, while the overwhelming majority of people working in the kitchens, janitorial teams and valet and security and staff in the buildings are Black/Latino.
Why do white people get to have all the fun?
Enjoy the features of this grand city while working just enough, while Black and Latino people build and maintain these features, but barely get to enjoy them?
by Georgie-Ann Geton © All rights reserved