Racially Ridiculous

One of the servers that work with me is amazing, smart and and African American.

She has recently started law school and is worked to death for no pay, with her internships. She works with us "PEONS" on the weekends...and whenever she can squeeze in a shift so that she can earn some money .

She is an absolute delight. I have only known her for a short time, but consider her my friend.

I work in a city that has their nose so far up in the air, it is a wonder that they can see where they are walking.

She is not your light skinned variety of an African American . She is TRULY a Black woman...a wonderful, intelligent and sophisticated woman that will undoubtedly go very, very far in her life and leave a huge mark on the world. When she does, I will be excited to say that I knew her when she was "just" a server.

Since she has been at our store, I know of two occasions that she has been so horrifically and unjustly treated by "White" people...YES I can call them that, because I am WHITE myself..and on these two occasions, I was embarrassed for my race and the way that they behaved.

The first guy, just DIDN'T like her. It was obvious from the beginning. He berated her for no reason, found fault with her service where there was none...yet when one of us "white" servers went by his table he was exceptionally polite and kind. It made me sick to my stomach.

The second was even worse.

We were all standing in the alley way of our service area where we prepare drinks and expedite the food out of the kitchen. This man came almost "storming" into the face of my friend and quite loudly demanded "Can I HAVE my credit card back"? She looked at him inquisitively and said "sir"? She asked wasn't it in the book with the check that she had placed back on his table ? He VERY rudely said that it wasn't there and he would like to have it back.

God bless her, she sweetly said that she would be right over to his table to help him.

His demeanor and attitude told every one of us that heard, that he felt she had either taken his card, lost it or was copying the numbers down for her later use.

When she went back to his table ...it was RIGHT THERE...behind his receipt in the book that she had left on the table.

I asked her what his response or apology was? He had neither. He walked out the door in a huff, acting like it was her fault he was too stupid to look through the entire book before he came to challenge her in front of all her fellow employees , and make her look like some kind of con artist or cheat.

He left her a crappy tip, and he left me with a foul, bitter taste in my mouth and in my heart.

How can people blatantly be so biased that they actually spend their time creating and manufacturing problems where they don't exist...just to try to make someone look bad, to justify their obvious total racism?

I have complete faith in this young woman. She rises above it EVERY time, and always says.."They are just showing their stupidity."

Her ability to ignore the ignorance, to ignore the bias, to ignore the slights... she takes it all in stride...with AMAZING grace and humility.

When she gets her law degree...I will not only give her a party...but probably a retainer as well.

She is as good a person as I have ever had the honor to know and call my friend.

Look out!! You racist, crooked , dishonest slime balls!! I have a friend on the way to her future that is going to kick your ASS!!!

Till next time WHITE COTTON!!