Post-Racial America

After Obama’s first inauguration, pundits swooned that we had achieved “post-racial America.” It took more than four hundred years but, finally, all Americans, regardless of skin color were truly equal. A Black guy is in the White House and not as a servant. Yay for us.

That concept never reached a dark street in Orlando for Trayvon Martin nor did it make it to a Minneapolis storefront for George Floyd. In fact, “post-racial America” was not apparent in sleepy Catasauqua, PA last Friday night.

Lyft driver James Bode was called to a corner bar there at closing time. A woman got into his back seat and verified that she was the same “Jackie” who had hailed the ride. Jackie took a look at James and asked, “Are you a White guy? You seem like a normal guy. You even speak good English.”

James told Jackie that what she said was inappropriate and requested that she leave his car.

Jackie then hailed her boyfriend. He yelled at James, “You’re a (blanking) (blank) hole. I’m going to punch you in the (blank)ing face.”

James, to his credit, calmly replied, “I have a camera in the car. This is all being recorded.” He then drove away.

James later posted the incident on-line. Folks brought it to the attention of Catasauqua police who are investigating.

Even in “post-racial America”, a Black Lyft driver needs a camera when picking up drunken rednecks in a Pennsylvania town. It still could have gone horribly wrong if Jackie’s boyfriend had a gun. The story could very well have been, “I had to shoot the driver. I felt threatened. He was about to drive away with Jackie to do God only knows what.”

America has a long way to go.

By Ed Dufton