I was at the checkout at a store that will remain nameless, and the cashier asks Will you be paying with EBT? For those of you who do not know, EBT is cash or food stamps provided by temporary assistance through DHS. I was taken aback, as evidenced by my pause, and slowly i responded, no. I proceeded to pay for my items, and after doing so, I moved slightly away from the register and pretended to be checking out my receipt. I hung around because I noticed that the customer behind me was white and I wanted to see if the cashier, for whatever reason, needed to ask all customers this question. As anticipated, this customer was not asked if she was paying with EBT. I think its important to note that the cashier was African American. My point in sharing this is because we must consider the role we (people of color) play in perpetuating stereotypes and fostering institutional racism. Poverty is a mentality, and not simply an indicator of your checkbook balance. We must be careful not to by-in to the stereotypical images that are shown in main stream media and we must teach our children that we are derivatives of Kings and Queens. And if a brotha or sista must rely on the system for a means of sustenance temporarily, doesnt and shouldnt mean that they are beneath, lazy, or of lesser value than those who do not share in their struggle. Im shaking my head and thinking when we know better, we do better, hence the reason for this post.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 18:00:42 +0000
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