The personal side of bias, prejudice and oppression

My husband shared a story with me when he age 16 working for Safeway stores.  His mom had told him that the manager was known to be prejudice.  There was a 30 day probation period on the job and one day before the probation was over, he and his African American friend were both dismissed for no reason at all. These are typical incidents that African American experience,

     This type of treatment was profoundly diminishing in that they were not treated the same way that new employees.  It was if because they were African American young men that they were expected to fail and they were fired by presumptions.  This guy could have just been a prejudice man, which had decided that he would not employ African American people, but would act like he was giving them a chance because of laws that were put in place.

     Hearing about this made me feel sad.  I hate that they were fired because of the color of their skin.   The really sad thing is that this type prejudice still exists.  I have recently started a management job in the area of social service.  I am the only one in my office that I manage that looks like me.  Some people that come into the office that are use to dealing with a white woman manager seem to have some challenge recognizing an African American woman without asking what is my background, as if to wonder how did I get this job.      

          In order for these types of incidents to change people who think in a way to oppress people must change.  The way these people think and feel in their hearts will have to change.  This is a journey of change is progressive and will take time.  As this journey begins, the oppressed must work hard to not think as the oppressed, but must begin to think of themselves as equals.