Lilly White

How do black people in Seattle handle it?

I forgot how white this city is! After spending over 5 years back East in Cleveland and in North Carolina where a multi-colored society is commonplace, the banal, monochrome population of this town is disconcerting. Seeing a black man or woman on the street is rare, and when I do, it is a welcome oasis of diversity. When I took one of those "racial preference" computer surveys in a Sociology class, my results came back "preference for black faces, strong preference for middle-eastern faces". And, I'm a boring old white girl. Not that I'm touting how "liberal" or "color blind" I am. I think I just find darker complexions more attractive. A common question my sisters used to ask me when I told them I had a date was "what country is he from?".

I wonder if Seattle African-Americans ever get used to being outsiders. My friends from around here seem almost afraid of differently-pigmented people. The "dominant minority" is Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese etc.). Because of their large numbers, they have successfully integrated themselves in the area. But the Black people have had a much harder time. The best-known local gospel group, "The Total Experience Gospel Choir" looks to be about 1/3 white. But when January's Martin Luther King day rolls around, suddenly, everybody is black. The TV stations all have live broadcasts from the big Baptist church downtown and everybody speaks of his greatness.

If I were black in this town, hopefully I'd have a sense of humor and be able to laugh at the annual hypocrisy.

Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty-Nine Miles

It has taken me over a week to recover from my journey. Thank goodness for acupuncture.

Have you ever driven 3,439 miles? It took me exactly 7 days, leaving Greensboro at 7pm on a Tuesday and arriving in Seattle at 6:30 pm the following Tuesday. I rarely drove more than 8 hours a day, having 2 kitties in tow. As soon as I got to Seattle, I wound up sitting in a 40-minute traffic jam across the I-90 bridge because there was a Sonics game that night. Good to be welcomed home in high style.

I had to take the Southerly route to extricate myself from North Carolina. Watching the weather channel in every Motel 6 along the way, it was clear that the safest route was to drive South on I-40 from NC to Flagstaff, AZ and then head north. What a treat that turned out to be! I took US 89 North and drove by the amazing "vermilion cliffs" and saw colors that I thought only existed in a Crayola box of 64 crayons!

Some things I've noticed since returning to Seattle:

1. People don't talk at the movies!!!! HOORAY!!!

2. No, I don't dress weird. I dress like people from Seattle. Hey North Carolina, how do you like that?

3. Strangers I pass on the street have been saying 'hello' to me! When did that start happening here? Or, maybe it is because I can't stop smiling and they're just responding to me?

4. You really DO need 4 coffee shops on every block here. 'Cuz they're all filled with people reading books or working on their laptops or talking. To other people. Not just talking on their cell phones.

I'm home. Sigh.