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.