A memory of an experience with involving bias, prejudice, and/or oppression is when I was working in the field on a new case. I had to go to the police station to see if I could get a detective to go out with me to a home. I arrived at the police station and went up to the desk. There were two ladies working the front office. One lady appeared to be on her lunch break and the other lady was helping a man. I stood there in line over 20 minutes, listening to the lady help the gentleman about rental property in the area. No one acknowledge that I was there or why I needed help. I had on my DSS badge and still was not asked for any assistance. I felt that I was not acknowledged because of my race. I felt that if I was an Indian I would have been asked for assistance when I walked through the door. The town I was in population is majority Lumbee Indians. I felt some type of way in regards to the Lumbee Indians at the time. Lumbee Indians are trying to get federally recognize by the state where I am from. At that moment I felt that they should not get federal recognize if they can’t recognize others. I had to calm myself down and walk out of the building. It was just a thought for that moment. I know that I could not think that all Lumbee Indians act and behave in this way. I ended up going to the home without the detective.
Lavonda,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you had to feel this way when trying to seek help. Did you feel there was a serious safety concern for going to the family's home and if you did why did you go alone? I have heard some horror stories about home visits and do not know that I would have gone on alone.
Very interesting to read about an Indian town showing such racism. You would think that as an oppessed group themselves they would not do such thing. I think that anyone that knows how it feels to be oppressed in one manner or another should not continue to oppress others. This is the scary part of our world, is there every going to be an end?
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