“Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men’s skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.”
Lyndon B. Johnson

When I listened to the speech given by Barack Obama I truly thought it was the best speech I’ve personally heard from any politician during my lifetime. Not many people have been able to articulate the fears and concerns of everyone when the speak on the subject. In the aftermath I heard alot of positive things from people of all races. Ialso heard alot of bullshit from people who were never really for Obama from the start. One that stood out to me was someone speaking of their 70 year old mother, the child of Irish immigrants who worked there way up to to being millionaires. Her family is republican now, but she pointed out how his speech made her think of her father and some of the things that he went through. Beyond race America has always had issues with people. Native Americans, Irish, Jewish, Black, Italian, Latino, Asian - no one has been spared. The problem is actually reflected quite well in the quote above. Legislation doesn’t change the hearts of people. Laws don’t make them feel differently about each other. When it comes to people getting along surface and visual differences only help to make it a easier to discriminate or dislike or outright hate. I find it funny that the very basic things in life help us to get over them.

I currently work in Pigtown. This area of Baltimore city is 49.6% Black and 49.6% White. The rest is Vietnamese and Latinos. In the 7 years that I have worked here my eyes have become open to one thing. When people are in close proximity and share the same concerns and economic status…race ceases to be an issue amongst that group. At one time here, black people stayed in their area and white people stayed in theirs. It was understood that crossing over would result in a beat down. Today the grandchildren of those same people represent one of the largest groups of interracial relationships and children then you could point out anywhere in the city. Hell even some of the grandparents are down with the swirl. It’s also an areas with a low median income. It’s an area that was hurt when the number of manufacturing jobs dropped in Baltimore. It’s an area that has issues with drugs and crime. This is an area that I look to when ever I read someone nurturing a belief that one race commits more crime or has a bigger issue with drugs. I see addicts, young mothers, criminals, and bums of both colors - I see working, educated, people of all colors striving for a better life. Somewhere between then and now alot of people lost money and started associating with each other based on interest. The hardworking people tend to stick together. The junkies stick together. The criminals stick together…as much as criminals can. Mind you, I won’t paint Pigtown as a harmonic convergence of various races. I still see the remnants of old prejudices…but normally in older people. When I’m in downtown Baltimore I might cross paths with a white woman who’ll clutch her purse or give me a little extra space. In Pigtown (since it is a lower income area) I have to make sure I watch out. The part that I enjoy about this is that race doesn’t come into play. If someone is going to rob me here, they could be any color. Watching the young black guy just leaves me open to be victim to the young white guy. I also can’t assume who someone may be. The haggard looking person walking down the street may be coming from working a double shift. It puts things into perspective to see people who are white and black just leading their lives. When things break down people search for people with similar sensiblities…not similar heritage. I don’t think some dialog about race here would hurt…but frankly people here need the dialog about helping those in the lower tax brackets. I’ve realized that money allows you space and in that space often misunderstandings occur. In that space misconceptions grow. When forced together there is initially friction, but after a while you see the truth of commonalities. It’s like recognizing the assholes in your family and the sensible people down the street. What links us isn’t genetic, it’s much more basic then that. My question is…will it take close proximity and a broken job market for the entire country to see it?