I was not raised as a racist but I got into being that way in collage, and ended up marring someone who was a racist professionally. I did not know that he was a KKK member until years later, and I guess I did not care either. He was my first and my only sexual experience to date actually, so I did the things that a wife does for a successful executive. He made his way up the ladder over the years at different plants around the country, as many of you may be aware of hiring practices and job assignment practices of that day were very discretionary in nature.
Persons of color, (not white) were often given low to nothing type jobs, even those who are well qualified for much better jobs. I’m ashamed to admit that my husband had stated on more than one occasion that “certain people should not given an education because it won’t matter any way” It took years for to realize that it applied to me as well I have an education as a accountant but I was to stay home and be the pretty wife and mother. I did not have children so I had to be that much better at “being the wife”. We moved to Alaska when he took on a position as the general manager of a large processing plant. Up here they bring out side labor from the lower 48 states mostly students and what ever that gets worked 60-80 hour weeks.
One day the wives and spouses of management got a tour of the plant while in operation so I went. I was not really interested or cared at the time but as we toured around an area that stank I saw Deven working at a job that seemed dangerous for him. (Short people please don’t take me the wrong way). This young black boy stood to below breast, so I knew what happened, but I just moved on. They had him operating a rotating device that pulled fish from somewhere outside, and I saw it pull him around in ways that made me neurvice for him. Our eyes made contact for a second at that encounter, but I moved on with the tour and then the luncheon, plus I really wanted to get out of there.
A week later my Cadillac Crown Victoria (fully loaded) had a flat tire, it what then that I had determined that my Cadillac was not loaded enough. There was no one to change the tire for me and I had no idea how. A bus load of employees came by on their way back to the plant housing. It stopped and one person got off, the short guy from the plant stepped out, and the bus went on not waiting for him. He changed my tire and we talked as I drove him to the housing. I asked why he was doing that job where he could get sucked into that thing. He stated “The asshole that runs the place put me there because no one else would do it” I told him that I was married to the asshole that ran the place. I was surprised when he said “Your one hot sexy mama” among some other stuff. It was payday so I took Deven to the bank to cash his check. I saw the amount he was paid as he passed it to me to give to the window teller, and it was below the plant minimum. I could tell just by what I know and the fact that what he got was wrong based on overtime and hours worked there.
Two days later I got a royal bitching out for being seen with a black person, Deven in this case. I told him the story about the flat tire etc... It did not matter he just bitched me out like I had cheated on him or something, after crying for a few hours I got angry. He just yelled at me but that kid was in some real danger and I told hubby that. Well to shorten it up plus there are legal issues too, the boy was fired but not before he got hurt by that machine. He had no chance because they had hidden things about the situation, when I found out what happened to Deven I contacted an attorney I did not know and retained her for him trying to stay out of it. The short of it was that if anything was to happen I had to testify in court about what I saw and what I knew. I paid a price for that my husband got fired, we got divorced, and I lost my life style. Deven apparently won a discrimination suit a go paid. I moved and got a job in Juneau, my husband ended up back in Alabama. My life now is mine and I want to me own person being around whom I want, doing what I want not based on some nasty set of rules that were outlawed years ago. Apparently Deven must remember me if that’s him posting here, not sure how to find out.
For thoes that are interested