Yesterday, Leigh Anne Tuohy (mother depicted in the movie, The Blind Side), posted on her FB wall a photo along with the caption: We see what we want! Its the gospel truth! These two were literally huddled over in a corner table nose to nose and the person with me said I bet they are up to no good well you know me... I walked over, told them to scoot over. After 10 seconds of dead silence I said so whats happening at this table? I get nothing.. I then explained it was my store and they should spill it... They showed me their phones and they were texting friends trying to scrape up $3.00 each for the high school basketball game! Well they left with smiles, money for popcorn and bus fare. We gave to STOP judging people and assuming and pigeon holing people! Dont judge a book by its cover or however youd like to express the sentiment! Accept others and stoping seeing what you want to see!!! Her photo and sentiments were shared widely on FB, she was praised by many, and people are lauding her as a hero who crosses racial lines. When I saw the photo and read her words, my gut reacted a bit differently, and my first instinct wasnt to click like or to send her words of praise. Before I go on, Ill state that I do not think Leigh Anne is a terrible person, nor am I stating that her intentions are bad. However, the way this situation went down and the words she used to describe it publicly on the internet (with a photo) are worth considering, given the implicit and explicit messages that are shared. Shes opening herself up publicly (and I understand this on a very small scale, as Ive begun to blog and write), and so to me this is another example from which we can learn about the power of words and the importance of recognizing that there are implicit messages laced within our good intentions. When I saw Leigh Annes post, I perceived a white woman imposing herself on two black males who were sitting at a table minding their own business, and I perceived from Leigh Annes comment in stating, Dont judge a book by its cover..., as implying that a black boy/teen has the wrong cover. I also thought it was odd that she would snap a photo and plaster it on FB... If youre inclined to think Leigh Anne is simply sharing a good-hearted story, Id encourage you to read this blog post. Its worth a read and examination of our thoughts, ideas, and beyond. { Leigh Anne Tuohy, Racism, and the White Saviour Complex | The Belle Jar } bellejar.ca/2014/12/15/leigh-anne-tuohy-racism-and-the-white-saviour-complex/
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:05:17 +0000
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