Racism in Cordova????

Well, I live in Cordova and although I have tried to overlook this I have to confront my worst suspicions - and that is that I believe I may be the victim of "racism" by some of my neighbors. I am single and I live alone. I have a corner house in a very nice neighborhood. However, I am tired of finding trash thrown in my yard every single day. Just yesterday I walked outside and found a big blue barrel thrown in my yard. My neighbors never seem to have any trash thrown in their yard. Its only me. I'm on my way to Radio Shack to by a couple of wireless cameras to catch who is doing this. I am tired of it. I wouldn't believe it was racism if I was not the only black on my street. Any suggestions on how I should handle this?....

[Paul]

Yolanda, don't you think that every white person in the city is racist? Haven't you written at length before about being the target of city-wide racist attacks? What else could it be if not racism? Do you know what a confirmation bias is? Look it up on Wikipedia or something. May give you some insight as to why you find that racism abounds at every turn.

By the way, I am white and totally racist.

Racist Randy (that's not my real name, but it works for me here)

[anti racist white man]

Hello Yolanda,

I as well live in Cordova.

As being new to a community that is probably 80% white 15% black and 5% other I am content with the quality of the community. The one thing I have noticed is the lack of communication between people, I detest "cliques" but belive in community and as a new neighbour I make every effort possible to meet each and everyone in the neighbourhood. A simple smile is a start, so far about 50% of my neighbours have responded with an equal response. If given a cold shoulder I forcefully continue with my introduction because I think people need to know what I am made of. Now on the solution...

Go door to door to your immediate neighbours and share your concerns, let them know you will install a surveillance system but am disturbed that you feel you should have to and ask their assistance in "community watch". This will both let your neighbours know that you are not one to take things like this lying down and also give you an opportunity to create possible relationships that you may not think can exist.

I think the source of your problem stems from the core problem that creates racism. Indifference leading to fear that leads to racism. If your neighbours get to know you, you will not feel as different to them. They will not have fear but respect for you and your life in your community might just become more enjoyable there.

Good luck and best wishes!

[One time too many]

Well, it has been windy. I found most of my trash in the neighbor's yard a couple of days ago, oh my, it must be racism! If it is malicious, have you considered the fact that they may just not like you, why did racism have to be your first choice?

[memphis white girl]

my fenced in backyard has trash in it all the time. i have no idea how it got there. i live in bartlett in a very nice neighborhood, that's settled in, without many young children... but somehow, there are almost always plastic bags, fast food cups, and little pieces of trash back there. my yard has a wooden fence! my neighbors are white and so am I... I seriously doubt they are throwing trash back there, though. They are grown people, in their 50s-60s, and they all seem like very nice people...

Stop thinking the world is out to get you, girl.. Besides, people don't just want their yard to look nice. We want the whole street to look nice! If one yard has trash all in it, it makes everyone look bad. I doubt they would do that to you, it's probably the wind or some little kids with no respect for other people's property...

[F The Mayor]

You're suspicions are correct...it's you're racist white neighbors sending you a message.

They teach us the Garbage in the Yard technique early and often in Racism School. The approach has been found to be very successful in feeding the paranoia of insecure minorities.

[Yolanda]

O.k.

I agree with many of the sentiments I have read here. Maybe I read too much into what just might be a harmless circumstance of trash blowing in my yard.

I will be removing this topic after a day or two so I can make sure my response is read.

Good day.

[Another Corner Resident]

We also have a corner lot and regularly find trash of a certain type in our yard. I think people just drop it as they cut across our yard during the day. It's typically things like snack wrappers or cans. I've always assumed the litterers are just lazy and inconsiderate, not malicious. If the trash were really gross things and unremitting, I'd be worried.

[Another minority Memphian]

I'm sorry, but I have to say...you DO have a very exposed position in the Memphis community.

It is very unfortunate, but there are some people out there who, instead of engaging in intelligent conversation, simply act-out. Such are the consequences of a life led in the public eye.

I'm one of less than a dozen people of my race in a building of over 800. Yes, there are times when people disagree with me. Is it always racism? Certainly not. Sometimes, they just don't know HOW to engage in intelligent conversation. It's easier to "dump trash."

Or, your situation could just be coinsidences. I don't know, not having walked in your shoes.

I wish you the best!

[Forrestian]

you should be glad to live in such a nice area of which you don't have to fear worse things...

[Memphis Mafia]

Yolanda

Try living in Memphis. I get trash in my yard all the time including rubbers, needles, cigarette butts and rubish. But I can't say it is only the blacks, well damn, I guess I can since 90% of my neighbors are black. I have a good idea, why don't we switch houses and both of us will come out ahead.

[yutw2]

The wind blows alot around here during February and march. I do not know if you are aware of Frayser in north memphis. Frayser has alot of hills and trees that block debris. It seems to be one of the safer areas in Memphis as a double bonus.

[F The Mayor]

Frayser, one of the safest areas in Memphis?

[Memphis Mafia]

yutw2 wrote:

The wind blows alot around here during February and march. I do not know if you are aware of Frayser in north memphis. Frayser has alot of hills and trees that block debris. It seems to be one of the safer areas in Memphis as a double bonus.

Either you don't know much about Memphis are you are as dumb as a rock. Frayser for sure is not one of the safest area in Memphis. It is almost as bad as Binghampton. I know, April fool right?

[Really]

Memphis Mafia wrote:

Yolanda
Try living in Memphis. I get trash in my yard all the time including rubbers, needles, cigarette butts and rubish. But I can't say it is only the blacks, well damn, I guess I can since 90% of my neighbors are black. I have a good idea, why don't we switch houses and both of us will come out ahead.

Wow,you sure are a idiot.

[peepers]

Go to the hood and see how much trash is thrown in your yard. Call the NAACP or Al Sharpy, that always works for you people.

[Yolanda]

Really wrote:

<quoted text> Wow,you sure are a idiot.

I agree.

[Shelby]

You might be supprised at who is actually trashing your yard. When we lived on a corner lot in Memphis we hid in the bushes almost every Fri. night and Sat. night to see who trashed our yard. It was both blacks and whites trashing our yard, because they were lazy and didn't want to put it in trash containers.

[Yolanda]

Shelby wrote:

You might be supprised at who is actually trashing your yard. When we lived on a corner lot in Memphis we hid in the bushes almost every Fri. night and Sat. night to see who trashed our yard. It was both blacks and whites trashing our yard, because they were lazy and didn't want to put it in trash containers.

Good Point.

[mjr]

Yolanda, It is 'nit-picking' like this that breeds ill will. I have trash on my lawn at times. If someones puts something light at the curb and it's windy, it will blow away. Many times into my yard. I simply pick it up and go on about my day. I believe you should think less about the color of your skin. If you forget skin color, you will not have the idea that racism is the reason you find trash on your lawn.

[Yolanda]

mjr wrote:

Yolanda, It is 'nit-picking' like this that breeds ill will. I have trash on my lawn at times. If someones puts something light at the curb and it's windy, it will blow away. Many times into my yard. I simply pick it up and go on about my day. I believe you should think less about the color of your skin. If you forget skin color, you will not have the idea that racism is the reason you find trash on your lawn.

I agree. Point well taken. Sometimes I harp on race a little more than I should.