Reflecting on life lessons since resuming frequent trips to Vegas

I had been on a ten year Vegas hiatus until a little over a year and half ago. Since that first trip back, I have returned four more times. 

I'll start with the bad in this post.

The big catalyst for the frequent returns was meeting Baby on the on the tail end of that first trip. That gal has taught me so much in terms of what it's like to be an African American in this country. The first big thing I noticed is how different she gets treated than I do or white gals her age do.

A lot of times when we walked into a store on the strip, all eyes were suddenly on her and not in a good way. It's like a black girl walks in and suddenly all the store employees are on high alert thinking she is going to rob the store. The first time it happened I asked her doesn't that bother you? She said she was use to it as it happens all the time

It also happened in one of the casinos that I will not name. We were making our way to the pool when I noticed she had fallen behind me.  Just as I turned around I noticed five members of casino security surround her. At that point, I walked back towards her and gave them a look like I was about to bring some misery down on them as they realized she wasn't alone.  They looked at me and looked at her again and finally noticed the room key in her hand. Four of the security team, the big burly guys, immediately slunk back into the woodwork like cockroaches leaving the loan female security guard to explain their pretext for stopping her.

The female security guard explained it was because she had a swimsuit top on and coverups were required when walking through the casino. The funny thing was I had been playing in that area the day before and saw 100+ white girls in their twenties walk through that same area in swimsuit tops. None of them were stopped. I even saw one girl that had a skimpy top on and a thong style bottom on. She had a see through cover up on that wasn't even fastened and not a peep out of security.

I am not naive. I know things like this go on but to see it in person and in a diverse urban area like Las Vegas really changed my prospective on how bad things are for African Americans in this country.

 I am 74 and remember seeing water fountains for "colored" use only. I also have a black friend who routinely got pulled over by the police while driving who one day told me that he wished every non black should live just 24 hours as a black person to see what it was like. I remember seeing on television water hoses being used to disperse black marchers. I remember see George Wallace standing in front of a college refusing to allow a black woman to enter the college. I have, in the past seen and heard these and many other such behaviors towards blacks - but I rarely see such things now. America has changed greately in respect towards the treatment towards blacks. Racism, as it used to be, is not nearly the same as it used to be. One day, hopefully, it will be nothing but a bad memory. I make nothing light of what you have posted here, I just wonder what your motivation is for feeling the need to post this content. Stirring the pot really does not help - it only inflames and incites. 

I appreciate your thoughtful response. I am not trying to stir the pot. It is something that has been on my mind a lot lately and it's a life lesson I learned in Vegas. I don't deny there has been progress since the times you spoke of but what I learned is that there a lot more progress that needs to be made.

Not talking about it or trying to sweep it under the rug leads to people, especially those that don't mix with non-white folk, thinking that the problem has been solved when it clearly hasn't at least from what I have observed first hand.

Mark, here's the bottom line. Racism is still rampant in this country. And it doesn't help at all--in fact, in exacerbates the problem--to say that things have improved in many areas. Fine n' dandy--but look how people reacted to the BLM marchers. How dare they! Uppity bastards! Look at how many people voted for a President who made jokes about gunning down Mexicans. Look at how fear of CRT, an obscure social theory that 99% of people don't even understand, swayed several elections. Look at how "replacement theory" has motivated so many horrible acts.

The sad fact is that many if not most people react to a person's race first and only afterward to his/her other characteristics (and in that respect, CRT is absolutely correct). Can we see people as...people? Yes. Do we? No.

Time and again, when black people are interviewed candidly, they give a litany of small indignities (and occasionally large ones) that they must endure day after day. They don't object violently or vocally, so white folks think there's nothing wrong. But there is.

        Another series of lies from Lewis. Racism is NOT rampant in America. Race baiters, such as Lewis, are the real problem in America.

I was in 5th or 6th grade when segregation in public schools was declared illegal.  Certainly there were some whites who actively supported school integration efforts, but not the majority. 

Nine black teens entered the local high school in our capital city under protection of the National Guard, to the boos and hisses of crowds of white adults, 1957.  Ugly stuff.  Today those 'nine' (one or two have passed away), while educationally and professionally advanced and recognized and formally honored periodically, still feel the sting of that day.  

Fast forward:  Black and brown people occupy high office, high status (Supreme Court, President, Mayors, College Presidents; major sports owners and coaches, not to mention players with salaries most of us will never see; entertainers, on and on).  Much economic and other progress, as is said.  Which is all great, but the 'sting' lingers,even in those who never directly experienced it but 'heard' about it. 

About the time I entered the work force it was being said that "we" are all alike except for the color of our skin.  That is so wrong and IMO damaging to elimination of racial bias.  There are significant differences among humans of different ethnicities and cultures.  Only when those differences are not only accepted but appreciated and respected and enjoyed among ALL of us, will that 'sting' be gone, which will take the passing of generations who grew up being "carefully taught to hate and fear" as the song says.

This is all an oversimplification by me, 'cause I'm no social scholar. 

Candy

You are an ignorant idiot, Davee-Boi.