During my travel to Fairhope, Alabama for a wedding this past weekend I began reading a cutesy novel, pictured left, to pass the time. It is a mindless work written from different points of view, including that of a wedding planner, demanding bride, laid back groom, and snobby older wedding guest. One can imagine my surprise when I came across a quote in the book from the snobby older wedding guest that pertained to our previous class discussion on Wilson's quote of the poor blacks endorsing the stereotypical image. In the book, the character has just arrived to the wedding reception and is noticing that the servers, bartenders, and greeters are all African American.
"I'm surprised any person of color would acquiesce to fill such a post. If black men don't want to perpetuate stereotypes, they shouldn't accept inferior jobs."
While this is one way to look at the situation, I feel that a job is a job. If this is the easiest way for someone to make a living legitimately, then, by all means, serve away. It is unfortunate that in many industries the minority population is seen as a certain type of worker. It seems, especially in the South, that the minority is viewed as a servant or back of the house employee. The quote from the character rings a bit true, in that it seems as though poor blacks ARE, in fact, endorsing the stereotype by accepting these jobs and not working to become something in a higher position. However, as I wrote above, if this is the only way to earn a living and provide for a family in a legitimate way, then it should be applauded, and not seen as endorsing a stereotype, but doing quite the opposite.
1 comment:
What would happen if you were to turn that picture on its head. Where the servers were all white and the guests black.
If you have a situation where, unless it is a marketing ploy with actual French maids, a group within a community 'has' a section in a labour market that has to say the least a questionable past, then a serious problem exists. And if it exists then your position and argument falls.
If you could state that it was half and half in all job types and at all levels. Then your argument would hold.
Or to put it another way, if the medical community set things up in such a way the almost all female hospital doctors went into ObGyn, something that would be blatantly unfair would it not. But are you going to say the Women should be thankful they have a job ?.
Post a Comment