Although it was validating to read about, the concept of Intersectionality was not a new one for me. The only way to assist a person is to see them as a whole, which includes their identity and life experiences. Understanding the historical perspective of oppression also is essential to interaction. For instance, understanding the history of white oppression of black people is essential to understand how we interact with each other today. Many black Americans are descendants of slaves, abducted from their homes, shackled, stuffed in boats and brought on long, disease-ridden journey. Those who survived endured torture over generations as slaves.
Despite slavery ending many generations ago, what remains are the stories, the pain, the anguish that often was passed along from generation to generation. Healing has yet to occur for many, and we carry the burden of slavery even today. This is essential to understand because as I interact with a black person they do not know me from any other white person. The burden of my white, oppressive heritage is mine to bear, yet can in the least cause distrust for a black person who does not know me, but that distrust can also be anger or fear.
Years ago, while I was standing in line at a grocery store and the person behind me kept pushing the shopping cart into me. At first I thought it was an accident, so I ignored it. Then it happened again, a third time, and a fourth time. I turned around and let her know she keeps bumping me with her cart. A middle-aged black woman stared back at me and deliberately turned her head. Then it happened again. Still polite, but a bit more stressed, I asked her to, "please stop bumping me with the cart". She angrily stated, "That's all you had to ask!" She then started speaking to the person with her about my ignorance. My partner at the time (white male) and a Latino who was in line before us saw the interaction and both jumped right on her (metaphorically speaking) scolding her and degrading her for her behavior.
