Racial harmony in South Orange and Maplewood seems to have reached a point where having the “diversity talk” with one’s children might be moot. One self-declared “white” father, who calls himself jersey_boy, started a chat in Maplewood Online’s Virtual Cafe about the fact that his kids have no reference point — or need — for the subject of race relations.
His six-year-old son, whose best friend has “brown skin,” seemingly has no awareness of ethnic or racial differences being any kind of big deal. “I’ve been waiting for the racist moment to have to teach this country’s nasty history,” said jersey_boy in his comment. “It hasn’t happened.”
According to this SOMA resident, his community has achieved the goals of his parent’s generation, where race, skin color and ethnic backgrounds aren’t obstacles to be overcome — they’re just an everyday fact.
My children don’t have a vocabulary to discuss Race. My 6 year old has invented “Brown Skin” and “Blond Skin.” I’m pretty sure I’m neglecting to teach some of the nasty history, but I’m not sure how to sit him down and school him on what he doesn’t know. And I’m not sure I know why I should. I love his ignorance of hate. He seems too old to not know, but I’m enjoying his openness.
On the other side of Baristaville, where a similarly diverse population lives in Montclair, there has been an ongoing conversation about the same topic. Last spring, BaristaKids Editor Georgette Gilmore reflected on her own experiences raising biracial children in Talking to Kids about Race.
The other day at school pick up, one of the girls in another kindergarten class was walking next to us. She said to my daughter, “Why is your mom a different color than you?” My daughter replied matter-of-factly, “My Daddy is Black, my Mommy is White and I’m light-brown.” I was really proud.
Is it time for us to all sing kumbaya and move on to other problems, like property taxes? Or is race still a hot issue in America… and Baristaville?
Montclair may statistically have virtually the same demographical makeup as SOMA but that’s where the similarities end.
Montclairians love to boast about the diversity of their town, as long as the diversity is on the south side of Bloomfield Ave. I can guarantee that if any Montclairians of a darker skin persuasion were to wander too far north of Claremont Ave, East of Upper Mountain, and west of Ridgewood Ave, those Montclairians who love to boast about the diversity of their town would be on the phone with MPD talking about strangers in their neighborhood, completely unaware that the “stranger” is a fellow Montclairian.
I wish Montclairians would stop stroking themselves over the diversity of their town. Not a one of them would even think of inviting all that diversity over their house for a barbecue or Sunday dinner.
The kids are always innocent and disregard these things. It is their parents, grandparents and peers which create the divide and obstacles they face later in life.
It is great to have a community with a good percentage of all races vs. the typical segregated school systems in majority of NJ. Essex County deserves high marks for not falling victim to the New Deal’s “red-lining regime” in certain areas.
While I’d love to spend this entire post pointing out the irony of your stereotyping an entire town; I’ll instead invite you to walk the length of Forest Street on a nice weekend evening or go to the Essex playground on Saturday afternoon.
I would like to assume you’d see the same thing I do (neighbors interacting with neighbors… who happen to be of quite a few different… and *gasp* mixed races), but I’m guessing you’d instead nit-pick over some thing or another in your attempt to paint with a brush as broad as the town is wide.
Oh, no, we are race blind in Baristaville. No racial problems at all!
I guess Ogie has never been north of Claremont.
I have always noticed that while people from So Orange and Maplewood are proud of their diversity and happy to talk about it, Montclairians are happier talking about how it’s not as great as the publicity. Strange.
My experience as a black Montclairion male is much different than the picture painted by ogie_oglethorpe. When I first moved to the east coast I found a very hospitable welcome in Upper Montclair, sharing a Victorian with the owner–a white doctor–and other professionals. Over several years, I shared homes with three different white homeowners, who knew me only as black male who worked in the community. I’ve enjoyed many memorable times in the parks of Upper Montclair, in the churches, at the concerts and various festivals. It seems people find racism, especially when they’re looking for it. I found no such thing during my stay in Montclair–both zip codes. It was the TAXES that I couldn’t abide when I finally sought to become a homeowner myself. Now I live in Newark.