September 16, 2016 - 16:59
Jasmine Stanton 3
Slipping is an innate habit that all humans share. As communities become more diverse and more and more different people interact there will be more and more instances where unintentional words or actions that are offensive will be expressed not always with the intention to hurt, but often do. There are certain ideas or stereotypes that we associate with a group of people that then impact our view of individuals of that group. Sometimes we might be unaware that we are slipping. But slipping is healthy as it can often lead to discussion and reflection. We all slip, it is about acknowledging our slips and learning from them.
The notion of slippage can be seen in June Jordan’s, “Report from the Bahamas”, where she acknowledges how she makes judgements on peoples’ identities presumptively rather than based on their true identities if she actually got to know them; slipping. As she challenges herself to make less assumptions, she actually is making a false identity of the hotel maid showing that it is easy and common to slip.
As June Jordan is vacationing in the Bahamas, she reflects on her identity, and considers the identities of the people around her and stories she has heard before. She attempts to eliminate the idea that people of varying backgrounds, races, genders, etc. can’t have similarities. She acknowledges the different backgrounds of the people interacting in the Bahamas but focuses on their similar behaviors. One example she uses is how “Black Americans as well as white, argue down the prices of handwoven gooda at the nearby straw market” (Jordan,40). Early in the story, Jordan describes an advertisement picturing a Black man holding a tray of drinks, fully clothed standing in water. The image gave off the idea that the server is willing to sacrifice himself to serve the vacationers “with a smile” (Jordan, 39). However, Jordan recognizes that although the image is made to make the server seem almost foolish and obedient, he is neither. He is a Black man who simply needs a job. Jordan makes similar realizations about different groups of people as what is seen on the outside is not all telling.
Although June Jordan comes to a lot of powerful realizations about her own identity along with other people’s identities she also makes mistaken assumptions about others. Although Jordan takes us on her journey where she encounters contact zones and challenges herself to not make judgements based on stereotypes, over all this she describes the maid that takes care of her room on her vacation and makes many assumptions without ever interacting with her. Most of the conclusions she comes up with about Olive are made without ever meeting her or having a conversation with her. In fact, Jordan comes up with her own dialogue of a possible conversation she could have with Olive. She wonders what Olive would tell her “why [she] chose The Sheraton British Colonial; …if [she] wanted to swim” (Jordan, 41). But she never has an actual conversation about her. In giving Olive a dialogue she makes assumptions about how she may talk, what she may say and why she may say them without even knowing her other than she is a middle aged Black women just as Jordan is.
Although Jordan and Olive share the similarity of being Black women, they come from different place, have different upbringings, have different ways of thinking, and ultimately have very different stories. Jordan slipped in assuming Olive took on certain characteristics based on her race, gender, and class. Though Jordan never opening slipped to Olive in a way that could offend, she acknowledges the error in slipping but the positive realization that no one can fit in a single mold. Slipping is something we all do but is an eye opening way of realizing we all share this flaw in coming assumptions and stereotyping. What is important is to acknowledge the slips and use it as a learning opportunity. Many times slipping is not intended to hurt someone but often does. Recognize it in yourself but also in others and make them aware of it.