Roots Of Racism

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Wrong or right, black or white?

Isolation and fear are the roots of racism. Especially when the racism occurs in the job force. A job I once had was working as a lifeguard. I did not feel any racism during the summer at the public swimming pool. Once I left to go work at a club swimming pool I felt it right away. The way things were different not only showed in the way people behave, but also how everybody viewed certain issues.

In the summer time most people want something cold to battle the heat. Some people go and get ice cream or cone shaped snowballs and others might stay indoors playing video games with the air conditioner blasted on high. I get the people who like to take a nice little dip. …show more content…

The first sign of racism was when my boss sent a couple of the black janitors to go change a light bulb in one of the light poles. The light pole was so high that you have to use a special vehicle to reach it. The black lifeguard and I were watching them work, since it was right by the pool when our boss came outside to see the progress. I jokingly said, “it is a good thing that us lifeguards are trained to help save people just in case they fall”. He then replied, “ if they fall there won’t be much to save’’, because they were so high up. He said it in such a calm manner. It was as if he was already planning on who to hire next just in case things went wrong. I started noticing other things as well with my white coworkers. I asked if any of them ever worked in the public swimming pools, which they replied no. I also asked if they would ever work there and they replied no. Their response was,” that’s where the black hood children stay and I don’t want to get mugged”. They did not know that I grew up in areas like that Ghost Town, but because of how the way I spoke they figured that I grew up in some suburban area. I was offended because they judged how a person looks, not on how they …show more content…

The company never did one before, and they felt that now was the best time to do it. I did not have a problem with taking the drug test except for the fact that only the black people were selected to do it. Some of my coworkers smoked weed and the bosses knew which one did. I was surprised that my white co-worker who smokes did not get it. The black workers and I realized what was going on and we wanted to do something about it. Some were discussing signing a petition against the drug test. I realized that it did not matter what we did because it would not make a difference. I refused to take the drug test and was fired the next

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