Letter to the editor: It's hard for Black community to move on when we are still treated as non-persons

Posted

Greetings and salutations. I need to write this just to get it off of my mind. The other day, I was standing near my truck, which was in my yard. A city of Sumter truck stops in front of my next-door neighbor's home. Inside of the truck was a city building inspector. The inspector was white, my neighbor is also white, and I am Black. The inspector got out of his city truck and spoke to my neighbor, then proceeded to walk around to the back of their house to inspect an addition being constructed behind their home. The city inspector walked no more than 20 feet from me to go between our homes. He did not turn his head to speak to me. He looked right past me as if I was not a person.

I said to myself, maybe he did not see me. So, I waited until he came back between the two homes. Just as before, he looked right past me and went to his city truck and left. Usually when I am treated this way by whites, I ignore it, but this time I could not. My taxes help pay the inspector's salary. I am his customer and not a non-person. As a Black person, I am treated this way most of the time. I am treated as if I should not be able to afford a home where I now live.

I hear some whites say we as Black people should get over the past. We try, but when we are still treated as non-persons, it is hard to move on. I want nothing of yours. I will buy it myself. Just treat me as you want to be treated.

ROBERT JOHNSON

Sumter