Meghan Steere
Life History Interview
It’s amazing to think you can live in the same country or even state as somebody and still so easily forget that people really do come from all walks of life. I found this out first hand when I interviewed one of my classmates with the beautiful, exotic sounding name of Jzonna Tierre Burrell. She would be considered by most people who see her to be African-American, but her “culture” would be Bawlmorese or from Baltimore where a lingering mix of Northern and Southern views can still be found today. The city is generally associated with Jazz music as being the most popular and has some unique foods that you would really have to search to find around here.
Now, the reason I asked her if I could interview her goes by the requirements for who I could interview: “someone who is different from you in multiple dimensions of diversity and not part of a privileged class or group.” Whereas I am young, white, non-religious, un-married, and still live where I was born and raised; Mrs. Burrell is mixed black and white, has been married for over 20 years, is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, follows the Mormon religion, and is at least twice my age. (I was taught over the years you don’t ask a lady her age so that subject didn’t enter the conversation while conducting my interview.) Her race and charming speech pattern, leftover from Baltimore no doubt, are the main two reasons I chose her. We consulted about 3 or 4 times in short intervals and I felt the interview overall went very well. There were times when Jzonna talked more quietly because her daughter was in the other room and didn’t want her innocent ears to hear some of the inappropriate racial issues Jzonna has unfortunately experienced in her life. She was, however, very willing to answer any questions that I had making me feel much less uncomfortable or guilty about being inherently more privileged and shielded from some of the vulgar judgments that people make.
One of the biggest things I learned during the interview was how anywhere you go you’re going to encounter some sort of inequality and racism. It’s kind of just inherent in our species it seems, because we cannot have the similarities without also having those things that make us different. The conversation started off with asking Jzonna where she was from; me knowing next to nothing about Baltimore, she had a lot to tell. In Baltimore, people tended to fend for themselves and were more cold and rude to each other. As strange as it may seem, this actually makes a lot of sense because not only are there thirteen times more people per square mile in Maryland than here in Utah; that east coast state is also seven times smaller than our roomy landlocked area of space making for a very confined diverse bunch of folks over yonder.
Another thing Jzonna and I discussed really took me by surprise. She told me of how she has been discriminated against most not by white people, but by other black people; generally those who were not from America. She stated that on numerous occasions she was completely ignored when saying hello whereas “when a white person says hello to them, all you can see is big, bright smiles.” I found this surprising because my assumption, based on America’s history with racism, was that black people were discriminated against mostly still by whitepeople. Although this example is showing there to be less racism on the part of white people toward black, it’s unfortunate to hear that such a friendly woman and probably many like her may not be receiving the fullest extent of courtesy they deserve; no matter who it’s stemming from.
Now, along the same lines of Jzonna’s intercultural experiences, we talked about the inconsiderate way people have treated her on the bus system both in Baltimore and here in Utah. There apparently were numerous times when a white passenger was so graciously given a seat without hesitation, but any time Mrs. Burrell stepped onto a full vehicle “they would not even look my way to help me struggling with bags and a child.” Here in Utah, she has experienced almost quarantine-like treatment sitting somewhere and people, quite intentionally, standing as opposed to sitting in one of the only two seats next to or even near her. Although others seem not to see it that way it was interesting to hear her explaining this experience and then describing herself as “harmless” because I could really relate to how that would feel since I could very easily be put under the same depiction. At the end of this conversation she wished there were more people like her mother in this world; a desire we both share because we also share having wonderful mothers who doubled as role models. I think it’s very important to have a positive role model in your life, whoever it may be, so as to increase your understanding of this world and its people even if that means you being one to somebody else.
As a role model herself, Jzonna spoke of how she taught her two children never to use words that are derogatory to anyone “OR ELSE you might be in for a fight.” Now, although she didn’t experience any language barriers in the normal sense, she has dealt with similar walls in language being put up when people, especially black people, used offensive words such as the “N” word. As much as I would hope good people are not still called such offensive things, the only positive side of it would be bringing its inappropriate use more into public attention so we can better understand the consequences of the words we choose to use. A different type of less unpleasant language barrier she’s noticed is the difference in slang used here versus in Baltimore. The example she gave was of when we use words like “that’s stupid” we’re saying something in what someone is telling you was stupid whereas in Baltimore someone would think you literally meant what they said was stupid.
Finally, on to the more positive and fun part of culture differences, Jzonna and I discussed differences in values and customs including dance and music. The first difference I thought was pretty interesting; it was Jzonna’s observation on the way some parents here get their kids to do things like chores by using the counting game. For example: “I’m going to count to ten and you’d better start sweeping or else.” It was funny when she brought this up because I have first-hand experience with my own mother and this game, but it really showed the difference in values when Jzonna mentioned how her mother would have “tko’ed” her and then she would have started counting. Next, there happens to be a really huge difference in dancing at Baltimore, why? They dance at funerals! Personally, I have heard of this already before, but it was much more real hearing it from someone who has been to one. She explained their reason for dancing as “celebrating the time your loved one spent on this Earth and the joy they brought while they were here.” Sounds beautiful when you put it that way, but try doing the same thing at a funeral here and you’d probably be exiled or something. Lastly, Jzonna told me of how her personal preference in music generally makes people take a second look because she likes artists such as Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks. I must admit I wasn’t expecting to hear who some of her preferred musical artists were and she said she was not surprised, but as the saying goes: to each their own. Probably a big reason for her seemingly uninfluenced choice in music is because her mother never taught her to like one artist or another so she chose for herself and it just so happens not to match up with the usual stereotype, which is just fine.
What I learned about a person’s experience in this country who is different from me and part of a non-privileged group was that they experience more judgments on a purely physical level than any white American probably ever will in their lives. Fortunately, there are people out there who do not see a difference in skin pigment as the way in which you should judge somebody.
At the beginning of this paper I mentioned how no matter where you go you’re bound to encounter some sort of inequality and racism, but just like a quarter has a head and a tail so too do the injustices have an opposite. Out of the biases thrust upon a select few can also come immense respect and love for the person who gets up every day in spite of every wrong-doing so that they can try to do whatever it is that makes them happy and lead by example in order to show how our differences are what make us better. This assignment has really helped to strengthen my understanding of this world; diversity is a good thing, diversity gone uncelebrated and unappreciated is not. There is a saying out there that I don’t remember word for word, but it essentially says that a person should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. If I remember correctly, that person was “black” and he, along with many other brave souls, helped change the world as we know it completely. So, thank you Martin Luther King Jr. and thank you also to Jzonna for sharing her life’s history thus far.