DRAFT 2 01.27.19 6:34 AM — Redd just woke up. Warm embrace. Oven on for breakfast. He’s to the couch.
Considering Love[a|o|d] Where I Seek Equity In My Life
[subtitled: You Can’t Have it All]
Invocation.
[From The Taken Down God By Jorie Graham]
On mistaken identity.
subtitled: {The Other Other. No, I do not know where they keep [ ______ ]}
At some point, I should make a tally. Two columns.
Attire.
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Professions White Women Commonly Mistake Me As:
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COLORED T-SHIRT/LOGO[NON-LOGO], JEANS
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TRADER JOE’S EMPLOYEE
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LIGHT COLORED COLLARED SHIRT [SHORT SLEEVE/LONG SLEEVE]
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WAITER, BUSBOY
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WHATEVER I’M WEARING/IN MY HONDA
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RIDESHARE DRIVER [THEY WAVE ME DOWN]
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*TANK TOP
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CRIMINAL/HENCHMAN/RARELY LEADER
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Still(Always) unpacking this. It’s been like this or a version of this my whole life. It’s a very subjective experience, and I don’t think it’s often discussed between us of color. Let’s compare notes. What does whiteness see when it sees you? What class? What story do they throw on you like a stained jacket/trashed poncho/unwanted uniform?
*Regarding this last one. In the interest of transparency, I’ve made good money on this assumption. They pay me well to objectify me fully. Often [compared to my white male counterparts], I am considered less an actor, closer to the scenery - pepper to their salt, yes? The secondary characters I portray are poorly drawn, with forgettable names and no history. They are/I am an extension/archetype of prejudice. [TRANSLATE: He is of color, with tattoos, and speaks with mild ghetto-affected accent. He is a snitch, he is a gunman, he can die.[CO-STAR/GUESS STAR 17 lines]
In Closing:
--W.R.
