At a Feminist Craft Talk

 

a tall white man sat

in the chair in front of me and began

scooting back, a just little scoot,

enough so that his knees didn’t touch

the seat in front of him, exploring.

Then it grew larger, bolder.

he began to colonize– his chair less

than an inch from my knees

as he leaned back, cradling his neck

in his arms and moving close enough

that his head almost discovered my lap

and I could thump him upside it

without extending my arms.

 

I readied my fingers

when I heard the voice of my mama,

Don’t do it, girlie, she said.

Bless him, he was raised to be rude.

I heard the voice of my father

Do you want to go to jail for thumping a white man?

He looks like the charge-pressing type.

Then, the voice of my brother

What the hell, just move your seat back

Why are you making a big deal about this?

I lowered my thumping fingers

But I couldn’t bring myself to give

ground to a white man’s comfort.

 

So, I contented myself with imagining

that I took my new feminist manifesto

in both hands and swung it like a bat

knocking him to ground.

---

---

---

Why I Don’t Talk About Race with My White Friends

 

 

Because

-for each story they have a story

-they don’t get the white person discount on life either

-they try to understand by equating the way they are treated as women

 

Because

-deep down they believe Muslims are terrorists

-there were very good people on both sides of Charlottesville

-they don’t know what to say when I ask were there any good Nazis?

 

Because

-they think that as long as they aren’t as racists as their cousins, they aren’t racist

-they are angry about Black Lives Matter and Colin Kaepernick

-they think “for economic reasons” is a valid excuse for voting for Trump

 

 

Because I am their token black friend

 

 

Because

-they believe black poverty and violence is a result of bad personal choices

-they see me, “college graduate turned teacher” as evidence supporting that belief

-it shouldn’t be my job to teach them about privilege

 

Because I am afraid to hear them say nigger

 

Because

-they will use it anyway

-they will justify it as part of an intellectual discussion

– I will wonder if they use it when I am not around

 

 

Because their children are watching