"Why do Africans feel like they are better than us [African Americans]". It was just the end of class and was talking to a couple of my african friends when one older African American lady in the class walked to us and posed that question. She did not ask it in an accusatory voice at all. On the contrary, she was genuinely interested in the why? This led to a very lengthy and healthy discussion between myself, my two african friends, one haitian, one white person and the African american lady that had posed the question. Of course my first instinct was to deny equivocally but as I thought about it, I knew there was some truth to what she was saying. Needless to say, we never really came up with a foolproof answer to her question. 

Again this was after an end to one of my graduate evening classes. As we left class, it was a little dark and as I walked to the parking lot, one of the girls in my class was in front of me, but once she saw the person behind her, I could see the haste in her walk as she continually glanced back to see how much distance she had put between us. Sensing her fear, I slowed down my pace but was still within earshot and it was what she did next that surprised me. She got on the phone and called someone and I could hear her telling them that someone was following her and if she shouldn't return, they should look at one of her classmates. 

After the recent naval yard shooting, before they revealed who the shooter was, I automatically thought that he was a white male. 

These three scenarios are but just a drop in the ocean of things that have happened mostly because prejudgement of skin color.

When you walk into a store and the clerk follows you every minute of the way. 

Or when you get rebuked for "acting white" or "acting black". 

Or when you speak differently to members of your own race than the other race. 

The list is almost non exhaustive and I am sure other people have had different experiences. 

I would like to hear personal experiences, stories, and most importantly, I would like to hear how we all deal with these situations. Then I would like us to explore why these situations come up in the first instance. Is it innately built into us or is it a product of our environment? 

I would also like to hear from Africans and African Americans and their experiences with interacting with each other. Does anyone feel that there is pressure to identify with one group and not the other?

 

And can these issues be resolved? 

In respect to Diversity month, please maintain civility and respect when commenting or responding to other peoples' comments.