Even when you’re trying your best not to be racist or promote racism, white privilege can come shining through.
Redditor @throwawaymanzdone, who is black, is wondering if he pushed his girlfriend, who is white, too far with his harsh reaction.
Here’s The Story
OP is a 24-year-old black man whose whole family is also black. His girlfriend, 23 is “white, Anglo-Saxon, and protestant,” per his description.
Recently, OP and his girlfriend were at his grandmother’s home when he decided to play with his niece, whom OP says “he’s very fond of.” During their playtime, OP’s niece was counting out play money to give to everyone when another child said he wanted to “be rich and have all the 500 dollar bills.”
According to OP, his niece, “out of nowhere,” said, “I can’t be rich because I’m an n-word.”
OP was obviously shocked by her statement and immediately wondered where she’d heard such nonsense and blatant racism. She said at school; some bully told her that she couldn’t be a “rich president” because of her skin color. OP drew his niece into a hug and comforted the child while she cried.
This is when the argument with his girlfriend started.
OP says his girlfriend chimed into the conversation and told his niece that, “it’s really important to forgive the boy who said that because he probably wasn’t trying to be mean and was just confused.”
OP was immediately flustered by her comment and told his girlfriend to stop justifying what the other child said to his niece.
His girlfriend then tried to ‘hush’ her boyfriend, started baby-talking his niece, and added that “she should also try to be nicer to all the kids at school, because ‘kindness goes both ways.”
OP was incensed by this point and took his girlfriend aside to tell her angrily that she “needs to learn to shut the **** up.” He admits that he wasn’t really processing anything his girlfriend said after that, and he told her to “leave his grandmother’s home.”
She left, and he hitched a ride home with his brother.
OP says the following morning, his phone blew up with calls from his girlfriend’s sisters calling him an “abusive and **** prick.” While OP knows his words were harsh, he felt his girlfriend was “talking in a disgusting manner to his niece.”
OP wants to know if being brutally honest makes him TA.
Reddit Votes Together
@tatersprout wants to know why OP’s girlfriend is still his girlfriend.
“NTA
From the title, I was prepared to call you the AH. But hell no, your gf deserved the strong reaction. There is no scenario where racism should be tolerated, understood, or forgiven. Your gf is a racist and actively promoting it.
And she did it in a Black household. Children don’t think up that shit on their own. Someone taught that child from school wrong.
Why is she still your gf?”
@chaelcodes thinks OP should make the teacher aware of what children in her class are saying.
“That kid’s feelings and forgiveness aren’t important in this scenario. His niece’s feelings and future are important right now. Everyone around her should be telling her that he’s wrong, she can be a rich president, and she’s wonderful. Email the teacher a strongly-worded letter later.
She was crying at a game of Monopoly. He hurt her deeply. No one owes him forgiveness.”
In The End
There is no scenario where racism should be tolerated, but the process of getting instances of racism to zero is long and generational. Do you think OP’s girlfriend deserved the harsh, stern reaction?
Read the full story here.
This article is produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.