My first racist incident

I have always thought of racist actions as things that happened to other people. It just seemed like something that wouldn't happen to you if you had a certain appearance or comport yourself in a respectable way or you didn't roll with a wrong crowd or in the wrong place. Basically, it was something I was immune to. I never had problems at airports, and I was always treated with courtesy at service points. Having lived in London for the last 3 years, I haven't had any experience to dent my view that this is one of the most amazing cities to live in.

Unfortunately, last Sunday, I had a taste of the unpleasantness that is a racist incident. Seemed like any other Sunday morning as I walked from the car to the church I attend in Peckham. There was an Asian (likely Pakistani/Indian/Bangladeshi) man - perhaps in his late thirties - walking with two youths behind me. One of the youths had been particularly noisy shouting on the street when suddenly, I heard him shout something to the effect "f$$k you, you black monkey". Now, being the only black person within sight, I was quite shocked and turned to face them. I asked to whom he was referring to and he responded that he was speaking to his cousin (the older man). The man apologised and they walked hurriedly away ahead of me.

This would have been funny if it wasn't such a serious incident. Funny because these people were of the small trader stock that lines the streets of Peckham and must have experienced the inconveniences of racism. So it is ironic. And without being immodest, these folks are many rungs below me on the economic ladder so I could not see a claim to superiority on his/their part. Apparently this didn't matter and just being a little bit light skinned qualified them to dish out abuse.

I also wondered what my response would have been if the young man had confirmed that his crude comments were directed at me. Would I have responded violently or walked away? I still wonder because each of these solutions presents a dilemma. Weakness would encourage this young man in his path to likely destruction while fighting would be wrong - and not just morally, given I was on my way to church. In any event, the boy helped me avoid making a choice.

So, I am no longer a virgin to racist abuse. Too bad, I enjoyed my period of blissful ignorance of the pain of being abused for my colour!