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I am a Black female civil rights attorney and the associate director of
Housing Opportunities Made Equal. I specialize in the enforcement of
federal, state and local fair housing laws. I aid victims of
discrimination, oversee testing for discriminatory practices and file
discrimination complaints. It is my job to recognize subtle expressions
of discrimination.
I have often been asked how you can calculate the harm suffered by victims
of discrimination especially when there are no physical injuries, no
medical bills and they haven’t seen a psychiatrist. Because it’s
invisible, society largely dismisses the pain associated with
discrimination. A recent experience brought home the fact that although
emotional damage is not quantifiable, it is no less real than any other
kind of pain. This incident has reminded me that HOME’s clients’ injuries
are just as real as if they had been hit by a car while crossing the
street at the corner, with the light in their favor.
A few months ago, I went into a familiar bank located in a very diverse
neighborhood to make a slightly unusual transaction on behalf of my
disabled brother. I was a regular customer and I didn’t expect any
problems. I expected that when I went to the bank I would have to show
identification and the legal documents that were necessary for my
transaction. I also thought I might have to explain the unusual nature of
the transaction and I was prepared to do that.
As I entered, a friendly woman asked if she could help me and I entered
her cubical and explained what I needed. I told her that I am a regular
costumer and that in fact I had several accounts there and gave her the
account numbers. I also supplied her with my legal documents, my driver’s
license and my picture attorney identification card. She pulled up one of
my accounts and said that there was enough money in the account to cover
the transaction. She then looked over the paperwork and said that she
would have to call the legal department. I said that was fine and waited
for approval. After the call, the woman told me that the person on the
phone said that the transaction approval was an individual branch
decision. The woman then said she needed to speak to the branch manager
and left the cubical.
The manager was seated in the next cubical. The woman presented all of my
documents to the manager and they began talking. I could hear their
discussion and there seemed to be some confusion about my situation. I
asked if I could join them and explain. They were both acting as if they
thought that I was attempting to do something illegal. I again tried to
explain that I knew this was an unusual situation but that I was willing
to present whatever documentation they needed.
By this time I was feeling humiliated and degraded. I felt like I was
being made to beg these women to do me a favor instead of conducting a
business transaction. The manager said she was sorry but she didn’t feel
she could make the transaction. I asked them to return my documents and I
thanked them and left the bank.
The next day, remembering that the woman had said that whether to do the
transaction was an individual branch decision, I went to another branch of
the same bank located in a predominately minority neighborhood. I took the
same documentation with me that I had the day before. I was greeted in a
friendly manner by another woman and was led into a cubical. I told her
the same thing that I explained to the woman the day before. She told me
that she would have to check with her supervisor. She left the cubical
and returned with the manager. The manager questioned me about the
transaction, checked my identification, documents and my accounts, then
completed the transaction for me.
The only variable between the different branches was the race of the bank
employees. I believe that this incident would not have occurred if a
White person with proper identification, legal documentation and bank
history had made the same request.
I was so humiliated and angry when I left the first bank that I could not
talk about what had happened to me. I don’t know what I would have had to
do to prove to those women that I had a legal right to do exactly what I
was attempting to do. I believe – I know - they treated me the way they
did simply because I’m African American.
A few months have passed since the incident yet I am still not comfortable
going back to the branch where I had gone frequently before this incident
took place. And even though I reported the incident to the bank
executives and the anger has subsided, the emotional pain lingers on. I
don’t know if there is any amount of money that could compensate for the
humiliation and emotional pain I feel.
I, like most African Americans that I know, have grown emotional calluses
that are not easily penetrated. We allow the daily biases we encounter to
pass because it is just easier not to confront them. But every so often
something like this happens and I remember how real the pain of
discrimination is and how much civil rights organizations like HOME are
still needed. |
