Work story from August '06

This past week I was working with a new guy at work. He's a bit older than the rest of us in the survey department, and was raised in the south. I wasn't exactly clear on all of the ramifications of this fact until this past Thursday at lunch.

As we're chatting and eating lunch, the guy makes some kind of backhanded comment about black people. I don't remember what it was, but just assume it to be the kind of thing that racists say to you in a conspiratorial whisper when they just assume that you're on the same page.

I replied by letting him know that my sister is black.

"Your sister is colored?" he replied.

"Absolutely. In fact, she's 'colored' roughly the same hue as Michael Jordan or Lawrence Taylor. My parents adopted her when she was three."

I knew my sarcasm was lost on him when he responded.

"Oh--so she's a darkie." (He said this last as if that was somehow worse.) "Wow...(long pause)...did they know that when they adopted her?"

I just shook my head and went back to eating. I still can't decide if this is hilarious or just sad. Either way, it still makes me chuckle.