Brown Events in a White World
This post is stereotypical and possibly offensive, but that seems fairly normal for me. Currently, I plan international student events at a predominately white college. (I say currently, because as all good blog followers are aware, I quit my job). Anyway there are some slight difficulties planning events for brown people in a white world. For this post I will call all of my non-white Americans brown, although they represent many different beautiful shades.
1. Typical white people love deadlines, the earlier the better. They give me lots of deadlines. They want me to tell them by a certain time what my event will look like, who will be at the event, and when will they plan to be there. Brown people hate deadlines. That is actually not true at all. They don't hate deadlines, they just consider them loose suggestions. I think it must be very freeing.
2. Typical white people like to know everything- in advance and in detail. Brown people are fly by the seat of their pants sort of folks. For example white people in a talent show will select their talent months in advance and practice tirelessly, whereas brown people call the day before the event and say, "I have decided I will perform". They have not necessarily decided what they will perform, just that they will perform.
3. Typical white people love watches. They own a watch and have it synced to their phones. They schedule events to the minute on their google calendar. Although they receive a notification 10 minutes prior to having to be somewhere, they are usually already there... sitting front row 15 minutes before. Brown people run on the -ish system; 3pm is actually 3ish, 4ish and possibly 5ish.
4. Typical white people don't have rhythm. Yes, some white people have rhythm, but I find it to be standard that the browner one gets the more rhythm one's got. This could be why white people have to practice so hard before they can perform.
These are just a few reasons why my job can be stressful at times. The white people want to know what we are doing, and the brown people want to just see what happens. The white people tell me when they need things by and the brown people tell me after they've changed things. The white people want to know exactly when they need to be there, and the brown people assume we will be there all day. I love both the white and the brown and all the shades in between. I love the schedule and the freedom. I love the organized plan and the happy surprises. And though the white people's deadlines and the brown people's constant changes may give me a heart attack, it always produces a good show.
1. Typical white people love deadlines, the earlier the better. They give me lots of deadlines. They want me to tell them by a certain time what my event will look like, who will be at the event, and when will they plan to be there. Brown people hate deadlines. That is actually not true at all. They don't hate deadlines, they just consider them loose suggestions. I think it must be very freeing.
2. Typical white people like to know everything- in advance and in detail. Brown people are fly by the seat of their pants sort of folks. For example white people in a talent show will select their talent months in advance and practice tirelessly, whereas brown people call the day before the event and say, "I have decided I will perform". They have not necessarily decided what they will perform, just that they will perform.
3. Typical white people love watches. They own a watch and have it synced to their phones. They schedule events to the minute on their google calendar. Although they receive a notification 10 minutes prior to having to be somewhere, they are usually already there... sitting front row 15 minutes before. Brown people run on the -ish system; 3pm is actually 3ish, 4ish and possibly 5ish.
4. Typical white people don't have rhythm. Yes, some white people have rhythm, but I find it to be standard that the browner one gets the more rhythm one's got. This could be why white people have to practice so hard before they can perform.
These are just a few reasons why my job can be stressful at times. The white people want to know what we are doing, and the brown people want to just see what happens. The white people tell me when they need things by and the brown people tell me after they've changed things. The white people want to know exactly when they need to be there, and the brown people assume we will be there all day. I love both the white and the brown and all the shades in between. I love the schedule and the freedom. I love the organized plan and the happy surprises. And though the white people's deadlines and the brown people's constant changes may give me a heart attack, it always produces a good show.
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