Plus microaggression!
Ooooee we live in divisive times with bunker mentalities setting in around the globe. Fear, anger, mistrust, suspicion of the “other” etc. and are these the most divisive times in history? I’d say no, though am not an expert in the manner. Still. Divisive by any stretch and our playground, the wonderful ocean, is not immune.
Who could forget the aggressive leash pull that exploded normally bucolic Venice Beach, California just over a month ago?
In a New Year’s miracle the parties made nice and the surf world breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Today, National Public Radio takes up the inspirational story of Khadjou Sambe, a Senegalese Olympic hopeful, and the very famous Rhonda Harper of Black Girls Surf who was there on the pier that day.
Harper views localism as another form of colonialism.
“The beaches are being re-colonized by white males,” she said. “The thing about localism that cracks me up is that you truly can’t say that you own this beach or this is your area. That’s public property.”
The Venice leash-pulling incident went viral, and Harper said she began to receive threats. People accused her of using the incident to slander surfing and profit from it, she says. This baffles Harper as it was her surfer who was the victim, but Harper now employs a security guard if she and her surfers go to Venice.
Now, let’s not all go crazy. Very few, if any, of us are either black or female so can’t speak to the specifics but if localism is another form of colonialism which brand? Belgian? British? French? Other?
The Belgians were the worst, I think. Have you ever read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad?
Yikes!