i have come to the realization, according to MY experience that most white people are fine until they meet a black person who is confident and smart. from many of my experiences, not all of them but many, white people feel most comfortable when a black person around them fits their stereotype.  as long as i don't appear as smart or intelligent as they are, they're fine. but it seems like there are certain white people who get really uncomfortable when i deal with them. like they don't know how to treat this non-ghetto, proper-english-speaking black girl.

and i don't even think that white people realize that they feel that way on a conscious level. but i've experienced enough of it to know what i'm talking about, especially in portland, where black people are only like a side dish that someone may or may not choose to taste. wow, did that sound poetic? i wasn't even trying. it was just the first thing that came to my mind.