Here's a video I'm sure many of you have seen by now. Now let's go beyond the Right and Wrong and dissect the ENERGY of this situation.
The video features A non-Black woman telling two young Black girls that they are "animals". She called them "animals" because they where eating on the train. Eating on the train is something that is prohibited.
However I come from New York and I can assure you that many people eat on the train. I must be honest and say I've never seen anyone eating in the mannner that these two Black girls where eating, but never the less, someone might have a sandwich or pizza and eat it on the train.
Now in the video it's clear that this woman instigated the situation. She had no right to be so forceful and call them an "animal" when they where clearly minding their own business. They had no regard for the people around them, but they where minding their business. When I say they had no regard; that simply means they didn't take into account that people might not want to smell the food that they are eating. hell, there could have been someone starving or allergic to the smells of their food.
Here's the thing.................
This lady obvious has an issue. When you confront anyone, or someone confronts you, you have to absorb their ENERGY. When you absorb there ENERGY and realize they have a problem you do NOT want to give your POWER to that person.
Now this was situation with an audience, when you have an audience the audience will go by the ENERGY of those within the confrontation. You NEVER want to seem like the unreasonable one, you want the ENERGY of the person who is trying to attack you to become evident and stand out.
One of the misconceptions many Black people are raised believing is that if they are loud and forceful they will dominate and win in the confrontation, that is not true. As soon as you lose control you make the other party seem more reasonable and you lose.
I would have simply said to this woman, that though I am eating on the subway and that is irritating you, I would NEVER call you an animal, what do you think God thinks about that?
That would put this woman in the place of seeming like the unreasonable one. The fact that I was eating on the subway would seem minor compared to her forceful, inappropriate attack.
Now we where taught that's backing down. We have been taught that that means the person "got us".
When in reality, taking that approach would frustrate a woman like this because she would expect you to act in a certain way. NOT COMPLYING IS POWER. Her frustration would have made her feel defeated. It would also make her seem like the unreasonable one. Even the most racist person deep down would be amazed and would have to agree that you are the more reasonable party.
It feels good to have control and not only that; control equals POWER. Both of these girls could have walked away feeling vindicated and "in the right" if they would have taken that approach.
We must teach our youth the importance of not falling into stereotype to satisfy those that would like you to.
And that my friends is the reason why these girls wound up looking like what this lady told them they were, and that's an "animal".
