What’s most interesting about the Pickens story is that he was raised to cater to the interests of those who, unfortunately, will never truly be welcoming to him based on what he looks like.
From the profile, penned by Eli Saslow:
His parents had taught him some guidelines for living in a place that was almost entirely white: Don’t talk about being black. Act grateful. Get used to people staring and always smile back. “Gerry could fit in anywhere,” read an inscription in his high school yearbook, and it was a skill honed from necessity.
Both these stories prove much of what we already know: That many cities, big and small alike, remain slow in terms of racial inclusion and frank conversations about racism. That no matter if you are elected or selected to be a face of a government agency, some will always feel as if you don’t belong because you’re not white. That racism continues to fester and rot many places that by now should be far more evolved than they actually are.
We know this, but it’s a question of when does it ever get better? I don’t have an answer for that, but I can say I’m absolutely tired of constantly being reminded how unwanted many of us are. Even when we prove ourselves far worthier than the bigots holding grudges against us for simply existing.
Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem, and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him @youngsinick.
What The Police Turning Their Back On First Black Woman Mayor Of Parma Says About Race In America’s Small Towns was originally published on newsone.com
