by Yvonne Larose

Created on: June 29, 2008

Race Makes a Difference in Identity

It may be a bit like stating the obvious but it's important that it be said. Race does make a difference when trying to identify a person or telling someone what race a person is. It is entirely possible to say someone is of a certain race. Making that statement will cause the listener to conjure up images of the person who is being spoken of. Those images may be accurate. On the other hand, those images may be so far out of the image of what is being described that there is absolutely no communication about the same thing.

Today, I blew a gasket. All control, all form of decorum and civility were lost. I cursed. I swore. I screamed at the top of my lungs as the shower water hit the flames of my psyche and I raged at the slovenliness, the laziness, the uneducated nature, the false sense of entitlement demonstrated by two of my most irresponsible housemates. And the reason for part of my ire was not simply because of their lack of everything that indicates maturity. The rage was because these two are identified as the same type of person as the general public will identify me as being - black. One is African American and one is African. Therefore, the three of us will be seen as the same by any person passing us on the street. Each one of us is a representative of the other to those who do not know or understand things better.

There are some people of every race who seem to blindly pass through Life as though all they need to do in order to participate in the social infrastructure is merely show up for the day. They are oblivious to the fact that they need to be mature and take responsibility for their endeavors. They need to earn opportunities to go places. They are not aware that each stepping stone of a task done today merits them the advantage of gaining a better foothold in what they strive to achieve. But the better observation is whether they strive to achieve anything other than the handout they feel is entitled to them - the one that they do not have to earn.

Instead, these individuals believe that all they need to do is wait to be served and given what they need. In fact, they expect that their government will give them the essentials of money to pay rent for any type of housing, purchase food, cover transportation and laundry expenses, and then cover all the sundry other expenses attenuated with entertainment.

What do they do with their days? Nothing. One shuffles from their room to somewhere outdoors (perhaps the liquor

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