Back to Being a Minority

On the plane from Paris to Rome on the continuation of our exodus from rural Africa to the industrialized world….well Italy for now….I noticed that I was the only black person and I sighed, “back to being a minority.” While I do not always notice that I am the only black person in my setting the stares that I often endure help to remind me. In Italy as in Japan, I am constantly stared at when I am on the train. It is frustrating though I know it is generally driven by curiosity. I think that I have taken for granted living in the US and the UK, two countries where I feel most comfortable, in terms of being able to walk about anonymously. While blacks may not always receive the best treatment in these two countries at least we are rarely subject to the stares that have become ever present for me in other countries. I am the only black person on this flight to Madrid right now and if I remember correctly from my trip to Madrid in 2007 there are not very many black folks there either!

For those of my readers who are not black and think that it isn’t a big deal to be the only black person, it is only skin color, we are all just people, you have never been a minority! Well unless you have traveled to Africa or Asia. The former of which is not always a pleasant experience, just ask the Italian. 🙂