Fani acquired a position many have sought and few have accomplished. Yet here she is acting like she was held back because of her race. I have a different idea.
Way back, I once flew with a captain who many first officers avoided because of his attitude. In the back of my mind I wondered if it was because he was black and some people can’t deal with it.
During the flight, Captain Leo made some comment bemoaning how he was held back because of his race. I took the bait and said, “Good Lord, Leo. You’re a smart, talented guy. You have a black belt in karate, a PHD in computer science, and you fly widebody jets all over the world for a major airline. There are tens of thousands of other people that would love to be held back as badly as you.”
It took him by surprise, I guess, because no one had ever confronted him about it. It was just easier for them to stare out the window and avoid him in the future.
I continued. “You are a likeable guy but you see the world from inside this three foot diameter shell called Leo. How about we grab a beer tonight and get out of that shell?”
We did. He’s not a bad guy, but he initially confronts people with a very cold, selfish attitude. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, but I gave him one. He wanted me to fly with him as much as possible. Our schedules only crossed one more time and he was much much warmer. I don’t know if he was that way to others.
Yes it’s a long story to get to the point that I think Leo was pissed because others figured he only made it to the pinnacle of his profession because he was black. I could see that wasn’t the case. I hope I helped him realize that.
I suspect Fani is also bitten by the self hate bug. Though I suspect she made it to the pinnacle of her career by means other than smarts, skill, and hard work.
EC
Wonderful story. It’s important that whites and blacks make an effort to communicate honestly with one another, not in a hateful way, but with encouragement to see truth instead of propaganda.