Losing a White Friend Due to His Racism
What Do You Do When They Cross the Line?
I wrote a story about times when my best friends were white. For various reasons, we went our separate ways, but it was proximity, not racism, that disrupted those friendships. I mentioned in that story a relationship that ended related to racism. It has taken a little longer for me to share because I’m still a bit sensitive, but the time has come.
“Even those like myself, who often write about and focus on race, inequality, and man’s inhumanity toward man, can have good white friends and not let things get in the way. I’ve had it happen the other way, where a friendship fell apart due to racism, but it was the exception and not the norm.”
I met Earl at work; we were similarly-aged sales managers at a mid-sized telecommunications firm at their Orlando office. In theory, we were competing against each other for recognition and future promotions, but that never came between us. We shared information, often lunched together, and referred potential hires to each other that might be better suited to…
