Coaching at RashidatO.com | Social Activism at Whereveryougolove.com
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I had a really hard afternoon… We went to do ministry playing with kids in a ghetto to build relationships with them for the church we worked with in Pitesti. This was not our first time with the kids, but the pastor wasn’t with us. When we got there all the kids met us and greeted us excitedly as they usually do.
I got a lot of “extra” attention. We’ve met with the kids multiple times, but this was the second time in the ghetto. Many of the adults asked for pictures with me. I obliged trying not to feel insecure or over sensitive, but it felt wrong to me. The guy put his arm around me and tried to steal a kiss. I laughed it off even though it made me extremely uncomfortable. One of the kids pulled me away, luckily, to play hand games. In my effort to learn Romanian, I practiced counting while we played. The kids thought it was fun and a way to teach me, but the young adults ogled at me as if I was an animal in the zoo. When I stopped counting, she even yelled at me to count. I walked away looking for something else to do. I sat down next some kids and a teenager and the little boy calls me “nigresa”. The teenager corrects him and I ignore it again trying to laugh it off.
One of the boys has been kind of “sweet” on me, but it had been very harmless; just happy to see me and wanting to talk. But this day he started with “kiss me?” and giggling to the girls. It was awkward for both me and Bliz. I tried to ignore it by giving him a hug instead. It progressed to him incessantly asking for hugs and I think he was even trying to rub his head into my breasts. Next thing I know, he and a couple girls are poking me in the breast. It took me some time to figure it out, but he must have felt my step counter that was clipped on my bra and so I took it off to deter them from poking me.
That caught their attention and I tried to explain what the step counter was and how it worked. I sat next to another teenager from our group and half made a comment that the boy was flirting with me. She took that and ran with it in Romanian and all the kids laughed at him. I’m sure she did it to deter him. Even though she never told me directly, I know they have said things about me. From her body language it made her uncomfortable and I’m sure she wanted to put a stop to it. Now that the kids had all laughed at this boy he started avoiding me. It didn’t last because, I guess, in a way to prove himself he started running pass and groping me. I thank God this didn’t start until we were leaving because when I tried to correct it, he just laughed and ran off.
I got on the bus as he ran past and did it for the last time. I turned around and screamed at him “No, do not to do that!” very much loosing my patience. Nano, a teammate from Team Dynamic Pursuit, confused and unaware asked what happened. I told him he was grabbing at my butt, but the door closed.
I’ve talked about racisim and some other topics of violation that I have experienced throughout the Race. What would you catergorize this as?
Has it been actually been racism or was it discrimination or simply a violation of human rights?
But does it really matter how you categorize it?
It only matters if you are trying to assign blame. Blame is directed at the person who caused the violation. Blame is looking for justice.
It may seem that I have been looking for justice, but actually that is not the case. While everyone is looking to the left at the violator, I am looking right at the person who has been violated.
I care more about the healing of the violated.
“But don’t let the anger and pain and loss you feel prevent you from forgiving him and removing your hands from around his neck.”
Excerpt From: William P. Young. “The Shack.”
“Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ.”
Ephesians 4:32 ERV
