Recently, I had a heated conversation with a fellow African-American about the expectations of African-American entities and businesses.
When looking for services, I do not take ethnicity into consideration. If one can provide the services I need, color is not an issue. Being African-American is not a prerequisite for me to connect with people. I didn’t vote for President Obama because he’s black. He earned my vote because I thought he was the best candidate and could articulate. Whether it’s services or affiliations, I expect excellence. I get irritated when African Americans act rude then blame on being black.
My friend and I differ in opinions. My friend suggested that perhaps my expectations are too high when dealing with African-Americans, considering the hardships and racism we’ve had to endure as a people. I should be more tolerant of my brothers’ and sisters’ tardiness, poor customer service, and bad manners, simply because they’re black.
Personally, I take offense to this line of thinking, but am I in the minority? Should I throw away my watch and adapt to “CP” time? When hiring an African-American, should I assume the services will be unsatisfactory? Should I always expect a “ghetto-fabulous” program? Should I affiliate with African-American groups that do not have a defined mission or purpose, just because of the color of my skin?
Since Barak Obama’s presidency, I have seen pins and posters proclaiming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream has been fulfilled. The dream, as I recall, was not for a black president, but for everyone to be treated equal based on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. That being the case, why should I hold African-Americans to a lesser standard than I would anyone else?
Your thoughts please…
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I will NOT tolerate CP time as my time is valuable. I hold ALL businesses accountable regardless of nationality or ethnicity. If I hire you to do a job I expect it so be performed accurately and expect superb customer service especially if you want a recommendation or call back.
Great article Wanda. I agree with you wholeehartedly. I beleive in supporting people of our race but I want excellence. Sometimes it seems that we as a race is declining in our standards. We want support but if we demand that people meet our expectations we are criticized for it. I for one want to be part of the multicultural world and not be limited to who I do business with. There is just too much mediocrity in the world and too many excuses for the worst instead of the best.