Manna is this great biblical hebrew word meaning what is it, in reference to sustenance not made with human hands nor produced from the earth, rather falling from the heavens. And amharic and ge’ez have words with related roots, min and mintinu, respectively. But, I first knowingly encountered this word reading fantasy books and playing fantasy games, where it means something like magical endurance.
Racism, what is it? I encountered my first racism in about a decade, just a few days ago. Perhaps, you will look at this situation and come to a different determination. Some will think this situation was more racist than I think it was. Some will think it is less racist than I think it was. That’s okay.
I went to meet someone of a less fair-skinned complexion at a restaurant about halfway betwixt my home and theirs in terms of mileage. We met at night. Shortly after getting our food, the restaurant closed. We wanted to continue speaking, so we returned to one of our cars. Our car was parked about 100 ft away from the restaurant we purchased our food from, in front of a bakery of sorts.
The neighborhood is predominately East Asian. The baker is a woman. At first I paid her no mind at all, even though our car was facing hers, and only in hindsight did I take notice of our gesticulation in the midst of heated talking…
She arose out of her seat, took her phone out, approached the glass, and started speaking on the phone. I was so clueless, and it had been so long, my first thought was that she was giving directions to someone behind our car and looking through us. My conversation partner was immediately hip. She had called the cops on us. We moved about fifty feet away, and inevitably and inexorably, the cops came within about 15 minutes.
Interestingly, they didn’t leave their vehicle. But, they did ask us questions whilst parked perpendicularly behind us, and we must have answered correctly, because all they did then was park a few spaces away from us and stare menacingly. Waiting… perhaps for us to fuck up? We withstood this for about 10 minutes before I got the heebie-jeebies, and decided to leave the scene.
Nothing else happened. Racism, what is it? Is it only structural? Is it only interpersonal and individual? Is it a combination of both? I see many facets, but it is hard for me to say racism is everywhere, or racism is nowhere. I feel the same way about demons.
This is an almost ancient tool of protection I have been using for the past few months as I park my vehicle outside often in these not so safe LA streets. People argue about whether violent crime, the only kind I care about noting and documenting, is up or down. I don’t know the facts, Jack. But, it feels up.
Better safe than sorry, as the American adage goes.
I take seriously the studies that show that the more homogenous your group is the better you all do. Foundational Black American (FBA) creative luminaries from Killer Mike to Fr. Amde Tsiyon Hamilton have advocated against state-enforced integration, in favor of natural bottom-up segregation, but with equal funding. FBA self-employment and wealth were greater in the years following the Civil War than following the Civil Rights movement and the BLM movement…
Was I singled out for appearing Black? 6 foot plus? Night time anxieties of a woman? The Lord knows. I do not. I have heard one close friend, and one stranger, both independently come up with the phrase alt-centrism for their POV. This is because they are able to rigorously look at all of the angles of multiple sides to any debate, without rushing to decide where they stand, nor dogmatically staying there when presented with new evidence. They’re not rationalists, but there is some wisdom with that community. Moderation in everything, including moderation.
What do you all think?