Guest Blog: (Part 2) Journey to Allyship: How Life Experiences Helped Me Overcome Bias and Bigotry

This is the second part in a 3-part blog series. Read the first blog here.

The lies began unraveling as I found myself in my first full-time “white collar” job, working in an upscale retail store in my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. My two managers were Mary, and her assistant, Paul. They were Black, and they were excellent.

Growing up in Mississippi in the 70s and 80s, I was immersed in a culture of insidious narratives about other cultures, mixed delicately with family values, strong work ethic, and Southern hospitality. These lies were based on the nobility of White people and how they somehow managed to build a successful society for themselves despite having a Black population of nearly 40 percent, the highest in the country.