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• Saturday, September 13, 2008 05:14 PM

  To domini:

  Part of the problem, as I see it, is unfamiliarity aligned with mistrust. A couple of years ago, I moved to a town that has a large black population, many of whom would be the descendants of former slaves. Some of the old white families here are the descendants of former slaveholders.

  I was actually attracted to the town because where I previously lived in the desert Southwest had an extremely small population of black people. Hispanics and Anglos with a few Native Americans were most of the population. Hispanics and Anglos, after some tensions in the 70s managed to get along pretty well in the 90s. Both Hispanics and Anglos held powerful positions in city and county government -- although the University was dominated by Anglos, with many of the faculty being from out of state -- up north -- you know ... Yankees.

  More misunderstandings seemed to arise with people from -- NEW YORK CITY!!! -- and other bastions of "elitism" than were ever a problem among Anglos and Hispanics who had lived in the town many years. For instance, why did those people (Yankees) always have to be on time? Why did they not understand that when someone did you a kindness that you actually owed them one in exchange? Why did they talk so fast and act so abrupt and have such bad manners?

  So culture counts; yes, it does.

  Then I moved to this small town where I am now and was actually looking forward to getting to know some black people. That shouldn't be hard. There are plenty here.

  That is when I discovered it. They don't mix here. White don't mix with blacks and blacks don't mix with whites except for necessary business and in the most cursory ways. There is almost no social life between black and white people here. They go to different churches. They meet in different restaurants and, although they may now share some neighborhoods and the schools are mostly integrated, it is clear that the economic power here is mainly in white hands and I cannot figure out if someone enforces this or if it is just habit.

  Moreover, black people are not especially friendly here. White people are a bit more friendly. And they all that I have met tend to be very religious. That "Praise Jesus!" stuff is just not me.

  I guess I am actually shocked that this town can be like it is.

  So how does one begin to bridge these gaps in places that seem to be voluntarily segregated?

  If I weren't a shy and introverted woman (in person), I would say that I should just start some sort of "mixing" club but people would just laugh at me probably for upsetting the established order.

  Now, domini, don't go laughing at me.

  (Sorry for all the weird quotation marks but I was not sure how to convey my meaning.)

  As to what Obama should do, I really don't know. I hate to be pessimistic, but I am not sure there is much he can do.

  —AKA Smith Read AKA Smith's other letters
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