At work, I only talked to the blacks I actually knew for fear some charge would be leveled at me. That happened to whites at two companies where I worked. One of those incidents led to a write-up (the white employee then got another job and left) and a hearing before (as I recall, some official appointed by the EEO). The “judge” was a black woman who had never found for the company. But she heard the case and was thoroughly disgusted with the black man who brought it and found for the white employee. (He was a Russian who had used the phrase “Monkey’s work.” But he produced a book by Dostoevsky, who used that term for overly easy work. The black took it as a racial slur.)
Blacks at work can use the race card to get huge awards. In the monkey’s work case, it seemed obvious to me as the manager of both that the black was looking for racism that he was certain was there if he only looked hard enough. Everybody walked on eggs around him and I was relieved when he went back to his historically black college. I’ll bet he’s retired already off his grievance collections.
Many of the blacks at my gym are a pleasure to talk to. But it would probably be different in the work place. I would never, never under any circumstances use the “n” word. Somebody could say, “well, I heard him say it once, so he uses it” and I’d never work again. We live in evil times.
Back in the ‘80s my best friend and I were in my office during lunch hour, just shooting the breeze and discussing our weight issues. We were arguing whose body was worse, each saying, “I’m wider than you.” “No, I’M wider than YOU.” “No! I’m wider!” Back and forth, kidding around.
In walks Celeste, our resident black victim who was always looking for race-based trouble. “Why you talkun’ ‘bout who be whiter?!” She was incensed to hear the word “white” (wide). Pat and I went into fits of laughter. I guess we’re lucky we weren’t slapped with a harassment suit or something.