I felt a connection to robinson's writing that I had not expected. I am a white man who has managed to grow up around a variety of people, while somehow learning almost nothing about them. Robinson talks about becoming aware of your "otherness" as a black person, and while I cannot relate to being a minority or a woman, I can relate to the feeling of "otherness" that comes with being one of the only children in my neighborhood that looked like me. It never bothered me per se, but it did not go unnoticed either.
Of course America's history is marred by racism and prejudice, it is also marked by it's loathing/love for the "Other." It is not strange at all to hear a white guy in the jersey of a black athlete casually tell a racist joke and see no irony in this. Plenty of the rural farm kids that I graduated with, can now be spotted, riding around in compact cars blasting music about things they will probably never see or feel. Look at the Kardashians. Cultural appropriation is real and everywhere. There is a very fitting Paul Mooney quote that I would like to include here, but due to the problematic phrasing, I am going to leave it off. If any of you have watched Chappelle Show, you probably know which one I am referring to. robinson gave me a lot to digest and I look forward to listening to more podcasts.
Your post is very insightful. I, too, found myself really wrapped up in the details that Robinson expressed, especially with regard to growing up as a black woman and how her experiences shaped her opinions and ideas. And I think it's cool how your experience growing up makes her feelings of "otherness" relatable and helps you to appreciate a better understanding of the text.
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