I learned about racism thus: I was stretched out on a porch on a bright summer day (very possibly reading a comic book, though I can't say for sure at this late date). A black kid came cruising along on a bicycle. As he passed our house, I got up and went to the rail to watch him. He was moving fast, going downhill, and there was some question in my mind as to whether or not he would manage to maintain control of his bike as he reached the intersection at the bottom of the hill. He glanced over, saw me, and gave me the most hateful look I'd ever seen. "What you lookin' at, you White Cracker?" Momentarily nonplussed, I nonetheless responded in kind: "I'm lookin' at you- Graham Cracker!" He swung the bike around and I beat a hasty retreat indoors. When I asked my mother what a "White Cracker" was, she explained the Facts of Life to me. As it turns out, I'm part Irish and part Cherokee (50/50, or thereabouts). When I see something like TRUDELL, it resonates. It's just a matter of degree.
