Working while Black- Racism in America

Today I have a guest post from my little brother, he is the type of brotha you don’t see mentioned in the media too often since the media would love to have us think that all our brothas are locked up or on parole and jobless. Anyway my lil brotha is working hard in a predominantly white field and today some shit hit the fan and this post is a message he sent to a few of us to keep from cracking his bosses neck.

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In light of Barack Obama’s presidential run, there are those that think that racism has finally taken it’s last dance. For those that say that.. i say stop sniffing crystallized piss pellets.

My other career is architecture for those that dont know (yes Black people can do more than lay bricks, we can lay the plans:) I have been in this career since 16 when i got my first gig on my own by looking up firms in the phone book. I have wanted to be an architect since 13.

Since then I have dealt with things that most folks would cringe if they knew, but it’s the nature of the beast. This profession I have a love/hate relationship with has maybe 2300 LICENSED Black architects in THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES!
(FYI 10% ARE WOMEN, IE 230) So indeed this is a league of it’s own
My goal is to get licensed, but it just seems that maybe im too damn uppity for my own good

Case in point
I have a boss at my current spot. He’s admitted being a “former” racist. I admire him for his brevity but for some reason former is not as past as I thought
Of late we have been going at it like Israelis and Palestinians over the Gaza Strip.

Now, as an intern architect, which is my professional designation (LONG STORY) i work under him to help him get the drawings done and so on and so forth.. This guy admitted to me that hes NEVER had anyone work under him before and he wanted it to be a good experience.. fine I have a management background as well, so i figured i could help him manage and he help me become a better architect.
SWEET!
HOWEVER, he is NOT licensed, just been around longer than me, but still by professsional designation a intern architect as well

He has a way of saying some underhanded subtle shit that well makes the Samuel L Jackson come out of the most Robert Townsend of men.

I.E. 2 Days go.. im eating lunch in the office (Which is VERY RARE FOR ME, CUZ ON LUNCH I LIKE TO GET AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE) i am reading a book about my fraternity… He walks in and says (OH WOW, YOU CAN REAAD!!!)
Now Black folks and other in myspace land.. i know what you are thinking.. He lost his rabbit ass mind.. indeed. I just shot him the Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction look, and he left.

YESTERDAY
I get a text from cnn.com about the Arkansas Democratic Chairman who was shot and killed.. I tell him in the midst of our bosses and he goes and i quote “What he killed in a drive-by?” Now.. some way say Nizm.. ur being too damn sensitive.. and i’ll by that for a dollar.. HOWEVER given that even though this guy must have watched Banging in Little Rock it was quite assumptive that just he got SHOT it had to be a BLACK person by ANOTHER BLACK person
last i checked it was not BLACK folks who run the NRA 🙂 (That was my BOONDOCKS moment scuse me)

Now my boss i think is also spazzing cuz I am gonna finish my Masters by years end. At the moment he’s the only one in the office with a Masters to my knowledge.
And part of me wonders does that bother him. Yeah im young, Black, educated and ambitious.. and NO I dont want to work under ANYONE.
I get the feeling im stepping out of his comfort zone

So today
i get there.. mind you i been doing 12 hour days all week. and i get yelled at cuz CTA (that’s public transit in Chi-town)  fucks me.. and he then met the N guy
yes i snapped on him. I went quite belligerent and then he tucked his tail tween his legs rushing off for a meeting
Now granted my language was quite profane.. but I dont take well to a white man calling me on my cell phone telling me to get ASS here cuz you got work to do, BEFORE the time im supposed to come in. I am doing the work HE fucked up.

But as far as doing anything right.. of course not
No credit where credit is due
and it comes with being Black in this profession

However there comes a time as a man, that enough is enough
I stand on the shoulders of the men before me in this profession and I strive to go further, however, though I do subscribe to the tenets of the BROTHER Martin Luther King.. I can get quite Malcolm X when necessary

psuedo liberals indeed run rampant.

SO I end by saying this.
Being a Black educated man in 2008 is more dangerous then ANY mission in the military
and we are few and far between
For those that I share this rare air with, my prayers are with you Brethen
For those that dont understand.. listen and learn
RACISM IS ALIVE IN WELL IN 2008!!!