Posted on 05/11/2021 11:37:05 AM PDT by NohSpinZone
When I first got to Northwestern, I wondered why walking around on campus could be so frustrating. Even when sidewalks were relatively empty, I would often have to walk way around people to pass without bumping into them. At first, I chalked it up to the geographic diversity of the school; maybe the people that came to this school were used to different ways of moving through a public place. But after talking to my Black friends about my experience, they echoed it: people at this predominantly White school would not move out of our way on the sidewalk.
This was one of many reminders that diversity does not mean inclusion at NU. Even though the University has worked to increase the number of Black students here, that doesn’t mean we’re welcomed with open arms.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailynorthwestern.com ...
I had kind of a funny thing where I work. Now, when I walk around, I usually adhere to the rules of the road in the US.
I walk on the right side of a hallway and generally keep to the right. It is one of those “unwritten rules” that people seem to follow, like the elevator rule: When people get on an elevator, they almost always go to the back of the elevator, then turn around to face the door, and look up at the elevator floor indicator. It is kind of funny to observe. When I was in the Navy, I knew this guy with an eccentric sense of humor...one day when we were getting on an elevator, he said “watch this” and when he got on the elevator, he walked in and stopped with his back to the elevator door looking face to face with everyone at the back of the elevator. There were maybe four or five people on there, and they immediately exhibited signs of discomfort, averting their eyes, shuffling around...it really was funny! He was deliberately flouting an unwritten rule, and people were apparently unaware they were unconsciously responding to it.
So, I think with confidence that walking on the right in a crowded hallway in the USA is an unwritten rule that people generally follow. However, there is an older black guy who ALWAYS walks on the left side, often pushing a big wheeled bin. Always. Nobody else in hundreds of people I see seem to do it.
For years, I would just veer to my left to get out of his way and barely give it a thought, except for something like “Dang, why is that guy always walking on this side with that bin rather than the other side?” Then one time, I was watching as I walked in this crowded hallway, and nearly everyone walks on the right side of the corridor. From the distant end of the hallway, I could see him pushing the bin while he came down the hall on his left side, and as he advanced, he was making every single person veer to their left to get out of his way, and as I watched, I got the very distinct impression he was doing it deliberately.
So, next time I saw him coming, I just stopped in the hallway. Just stopped and stood there pretending not to see him as if I were preoccupied, just to see what he would do. When it was clear to him that I wasn’t going to move, he walked around me. Then, I did again next time. And again he walked around me.
Every time since then, when he sees me, he crosses to the other side or at least the middle. But with everyone else, they still get out of his way. It is clearly deliberate on his part. What an asinine thing to do.
fixed it
Replace the concrete and repave the sidewalks.
Then it wouldn’t be my fault, it wouldn’t be your fault...
...it would be the asphalt!
Be careful. If he says anything, HR will probably install a hidden camera on his wheeled bin and start documenting your harassment of a black team member.
If you refused to hire graduates of every school where some bozo wrote a dumb article in the school paper, you would be left with nobody to hire.
This is funny and reminded me of something. When I was renting cars during my college years, I would always get the request from non-white people that they did not want white cars. That was over 20 years ago. If they have to color the sidewalks then let’s play the band Chicago’s song, Colour My World.
Progress. At least someone is capitalizing “White” too.
No kidding.
Take a way federal funds and remove your children from these propaganda anti America mills
Very good observation. That can apply to other groups, like pro-vaxer's... lol
Boo Friggin Hoo! what self important, dare I say, racist Sumbitch!
My experience has been ghettopttami walking three across at a waddle or Dindu males doing the pimp roll daring a “honky “ to pass him on the sidewalk
When I asked her for seconds on chitlins, she said, "LT, I'm surprised that you like soul food so much."
She was taken aback when I said, "Ma'am, your cooking is awesome, but for some reason, I feel like dancing." While her jaw dropped, my coworkers roared...that's how we rolled back then.
The "Reverend" Jesse Jackson once said that when he heard footsteps behind him and looked he was relieved to see that the person was white.
What’s wrong with adjusting to pass cleanly, and rendering an appropriate greeting? Seems the civilized way to behave.
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