The Ways of White Folks

The Ways of White Folks is dedicated to one of my favorite authors, Langston Hughes, who has a book of the same title. Most of the white people who came to America were from lowly beginnings. If you know American History , the first people to come to America were the pilgrims of humble nature trying to establish a religion of their own. The Mayflower was a merchant ship/cargo ship. These pilgrims were not of noble blood, but workers, trademens and mariners. sure they worked hard, but they also raised children and descendants  who tricked and schemed their way to wealth. They always looked down on the people who they enslaved to build this country. The ways of white folks is still to think they are better than people of color especially African-Americans..  The liberals have that paternalistic and maternalistic attitude We can do so much except to tell them we know a better way than them -than we become the enslaved again. The conservatives are more honest because they let you know up front they don't want you in their house, around their daughter and no way near their social clubs. They let you know they feel superior to you.

 My mom always kept us close to her and in our own neighborhood. Growing up we had very little

contact with white people except on television We went to all black schools; all black churches, mingle with our own people. When we got to high school and we had to ride the public buses to school, we got a taste of segregation and hostility from the boys at Holy Cross who got on the Franklin Avenue Bus on St. Claude . They had to be from working class white families because they enjoyed saying words like "nigger" out loud and slamming the bus door in our face as we try to get off the bus. But life goes on We attended Historically Black colleges and when I finish at Xavier I went to Howard University in Washington, DC for Grad School I taught at an all Black middle school during the day and attended graduate classes at night.

WE still stayed witth our own people even in DC. I had a homegirl who worked for the FBI and lived in Virginia. We would get together and go out occasionally. One night , a singer from New Orleans, King Floyd, was at a club in DC and we wanted to go. So we made plans to meet on U Street. I had my Angela Davis Afro and my mini skirt and boots; I know I was looking good. Bernadette was late and I stood along longer than I expected. Why did  two white men in suits brush against me-now I am 22-still a virgin, never had any white men in my space-let along my life. One of the men whispered. " How Much?' These were grown mature white  men- I looked in their face -when I realized what they meant and I said , "Ask your mama how much?". Then I almost ran into the drug store on the corner. I was afraid and insulted; no cell phones in 1971, so I used a public phone to call Bernadette, but no answer, so I guess she was on her way. I stood in front the drug store almost in the door way until I spotted Bernadette. I told her what happened and we soon realized that U Street at that time was like New Orleans Bourbon Street. We were in the den of sin- two innocent Black girls from the South. We learned a great lesson that night.