Otto Janarian: Talking While Black

By William Singleton

Otto Janarian: Talking While Black is a fictional account of the life experiences of Otto Janarian as told to Earl Martin and you. In chronicling some of Ottos experiences, the author defines todays racial animus as a continuation of the past. Despite the progress that has been made in that area, the author insists that police behavior has been one of the toughest to temper. Many racial issues, although not eliminated, have become subtle . . . less so with police interaction. Just as blacks are expected to condemn their own when guilty, the police must also rid their departments of the bad apples. The author emphasizes that not all people react to turmoil in the same manner. Even the mildest person may find the need to strike back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Oct 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490777733

William Singleton

This is the author’s fourth book. The first two books, What Was . . . Was . . . Wasn’t It and An Obama Odyssey, are books of poetry. Otto Janarian, which follows Ghana: Diary of a Son’s Sankofa Return, is the author’s second book of prose. The author is a graduate of Wilberforce and Western Michigan Universities. He was born in the South, raised in the Midwest, and lived in both the western and eastern sections of the United States. Although he has traveled to London and parts of Germany, his preferred continent is Africa, where he has enjoyed his time in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa. Varied work experiences include steel mill labor, education, and the corporate world.

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Copyright 2016 William Singleton.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7772-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7774-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7773-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016916525

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Contents

Dedication

Author’s Notes

Chapter 1   Talking While Black

Chapter 2   Chillin’

Chapter 3   The Verdict

Chapter 4   Driving While Black

Chapter 5   1 Week After The Presidential Election

Chapter 6   The 44th President

Chapter 7   Jump Street

Chapter 8   Madison Street

Chapter 9   Pre-School Seniors

Chapter 10   The Melting Pot

Chapter 11   Summer Vacation

Chapter 12   Real Education

The following are all subsets of ‘Real Education’:

Fe Fi Fo Fum

John Salley (Budding Star)

Miss Willie (Queen Mother)

The Strike

Grandma

Taxation Without Representation

Sunday Morning

Mr. Battle

The Hatchet Man

Drugs

Fringe Benefits

The Golden Gloves

The Hit

Association and Assimilation

They Called it Baseball

Teacher Harassment

Dad’s Red/Read Book

Mr. Fish

Peeping

Sam Peoples

Miss Slicker

Donald Robby

Sobriquets

Kansas City

Winnie NuPlennie - The Kiss

Accidental Shooting

Nicetown, U.S.A

Gunfight?

Melvin Strand

Senior Day

The Breach

Mutt

Otto the Shoe

Care Package

Eugene ––—>

Charles <––—

Old Heads

Oobelino and Oobelina

The Border

White Fear And The Sex Jones

There Is More To Us Than That

Car Thieves

Back Stage

The Real Thing

On Voices

The Foundry

Robert Tellage

Robert Risen

Spanish Class

Mr. Kiester

Mr. Chamberly

Miss Capher

Mr. Dressler

The House Key

The Sports Encyclopedia

Lieutenant Painter

The New Suit

Tenth Grade

(New Blood)

(The Rapist)

The Train (Cue’s Girl)

(More Tenth Grade)

Mano a Mano

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

(The Neighborhood House)

Noo Noo

(A Period of Growth)

(Friends and Chores)

John Less

The E-Props

(Eleventh Grade)

Lowe

The Hales

The Ritual

Thomas Paul

The High Teens

Mr. Janco

Basketball

13th Jefferson

13th Adams

James and Andy

Changing Demographics

The Drug Store

The Britts

Pee on Me

The Rack Man

Jose Geraldo

Sean Hale

(Summer Jobs)

Wolfie

My Reading List

(Senior Year)

Big Mac

Politically and Socially Incorrect

My New Barber

Basketball and the Fever

Little Max

2-5666

Sonnie

Commencement

(Lake County Highway Department)

New Clothes

Basketball Assistance

(Get a Job)

My Mother

(National Tube Mill)

(After High School)

Make It Plain (July 14, 2013)

A Few Years Ago …Today(?)

Dedication

To those who were silenced/silent while living their lives trying to apply logic to the illogical ... the Otto Janarians (predecessors and descendants). Humbly and with the utmost sincerity, I dedicate this book to each of you. Too often, we are still confronted with being paranoid or being ‘sick’. when assessing race in our ‘alleged post racial’ society.. With all the progress we have made, too many times, you/we still have to ask ... why?

Additionally, to one I owe so much who is never demanding, always supportive, and continues to make my endeavors reality ... my wife ... Atieno ... thanks for being you.

Author’s Notes

I remember a much different America than what one sees today. Concerning African Americans, today there is a black president and a congressional black caucus. Additionally there are/have been black governors of states. Perusing the cities of America, one will see many mayors, or such, heading city governments.

In the corporate world, many blacks are CEOs of companies. Black academics don’t work in black colleges only. They can be found in universities all over America. On television, one can see black news anchors and people who look like us in commercials. The newspapers employ black columnists. Some professional athletic leagues have a numerical dominance of black athletes, and representation in the administrative and coaching ranks has increased. Some blacks celebrate Kwanzaa; others celebrate Christmas; many celebrate both holidays..

Without declaring ours a perfect society, most will admit that there has been noticeable progress since our arrival to the Americas. To me, it sometimes seems that such progress, or some other phenomena, has caused some black families to shy away from apprising their children of an earlier era when blacks were not allowed, in a significant manner, to participate in main stream American society.

In partial support of that claim, on President Obama’s election, many African Americans and white Americans, declared his election the advent of a post racial society. A friend of my grandson, well aware of our racial history, mildly chided me for my comment ... I am not certain that we are there yet.

A black daughter of black parents became irate when a TV program, commemorating the civil rights era, showed video of ‘police dogs’ attacking civil rights protestors. She responded that most of her friends were white, and asked… why would anyone show such videos? A response to that could be those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Some say whether one remembers or not, the past will be repeated. That teen-aged girl was/is not yet aware of that not too ancient history.

I heard a white sports commentator relate a story of race and his father. He said that his father had seen Satchel Paige, the great baseball pitcher, pitch for the Black Yankees and thought only that Satchel did not want to play for the White Yankees. The commentator said that his father never asked why Satchel played for the Black Yankees. The father told the son that he and others like him should have asked… why Satchel played for the Black Yankees and to so many other questions… why?

With so much churning in our society today, not the least of which is the new proposed voter ID laws… perhaps we should all (black and white) take a look at some of our current and past racial history… listening through the eyes of Otto Janarian.

I have shared some of Otto’s history ... my history ... with different people ... many who are younger than I am. So many of them smiled and then shared history quite similar to the history that I had shared. Should anyone read/hear these stories, and they ‘ring a bell’, by all means, please make the stories yours. We have come so far, but is it not normal for me/us to recall the past when ... TALKING WHILE BLACK.

Talking While Black

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Talking

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Talking While Black

Someone else’s perception swayed the choice

To book us on the ‘color track’

So whenever I choose to speak my voice

They see me… as ‘talking while black’

Talking While Black by Kweku

My name is Earl Martin. Not too many people know me, and I like that just fine. I am married to a wonderful woman named Monica, and we live in a quiet community in Hopewell, New Jersey. Hopewell is approximately 40 miles south of Newark, New Jersey. The development where we live is quiet and most people living there seem to ‘mind their own business’. That is not to say that ‘neighborhood drama’ is non-existent, but with most of our neighbors, there is a laissez faire attitude, and we seem to get along. Although ours is a relatively small township, sociologists probably think of it as an urban area. In numbers, African Americans, and I am one, are amply represented.

Otto Janarian, a neighbor, describes himself as just a man ... a proud black man who never wants to be anyone he is not. When he can, he is happy blending into a crowd. Even these days, which some refer to as the post racial era, Otto responds when he perceives that a racial insult has been hurled or inferred. He feels that it is incumbent upon him to respond ... and respond he will.

On rare occasions, inexplicably, he does not respond, and those non responses weigh heavily on his mind for long periods of time. Otto finds it tough to forgive himself for such non responses. He refers to each such non response as a ‘faux pas’.

A bit more than 3 years ago, I met Mr. Janarian. He had moved into a house in the development where we live. While driving by his house, I saw him sitting outside and inexplicably stopped my car. Euphemistically speaking, my stopping to talk to a stranger was inordinately unusual. I introduced myself to him and told him where I lived, and he introduced himself as Otto Janarian.

Since he was/is older than I was/am, I bowed to my home training, shook his hand, and referred to him as Mr. Janarian (as I was taught) ... he insisted on Otto ... I responded Mr. Otto ... he demanded just Otto. Finally I complied. As we continued to talk, I learned that he was married and had an adult son who had a son. We seemed to develop an immediate mutual respect for each other. From that time on, it was not uncommon to see either of us at the other’s home or standing/sitting outside talking.

It has been said that in the early twentieth century, blacks had their own ‘brown paper bag test’ that coincided with white behavior. Black complexion equal to or lighter than a brown paper bag was deemed ‘acceptable’ complexion. Blacks with complexions darker than the brown paper bag were thought to be less ‘relevant’ than blacks with lighter skin hue..

Otto was on the dark side of paper sack brown, thinly built, of average height, with a laid back personality, talkative when motivated, and mum when not. Quite soon, he began to open up in my presence and I in his. He and I learned to share many experiences. He can be very dramatic and often refers to his experiences as his American experience in an American skin

A few days ago, Otto was at my house, and the two of us watched Michelle Obama, on TV, deliver a passionate and poignant speech at the Democratic National Convention. In her speech, she mentioned that she had been waking up every morning in a house ... the white house ... that was built by slaves.

Otto and I were also watching Fox news when Bill O’Reilly, a Fox commentator, made some peculiar comments. As though he were an arbiter, or master teacher, of some sort, O’Reilly conceded that Michelle had been right in her assertion that slaves had worked on the white house, but they were not the only workers ... adding that there had been whites and some free blacks working on the project. The comment that had both of us, Otto and I, shaking our heads ... perhaps Bill’s coup de grace ... was when he said the slaves working on the white house were well fed and adequately clothed. Neither of us seemed to grasp the need for O’Reilly’s concession or addendum. What point was he attempting to make?

Otto immediately began to respond and likened O’Reilly’s comments to many others that he had heard over the years. During Otto’s young years, he said it was not uncommon to hear/read about how fortunate America’s Negroes (the term used then) were that benevolent whites had taken them away from the dark continent clothing and feeding them when brought to the shores of America. For that humane gesture, there was no mention of the African involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. That ‘humanity’, those advocates were keeping completely a Caucasian thing.

When a black ... any black ... suggested there was inhumanity in slavery, a response from some whites was often you know your own people collaborated with whites in the slave trade. Humanity was singular (Caucasian) ... Inhumanity alleged was complicit (Caucasian and African). Otto wondered if that was to excuse or lessen white involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. Teachers at Otto’s high school ‘taught’ that the slaves were a happy lot and by and large their masters were kind to them, and they loved their masters ... perhaps that line of thinking was linked to O’Reilly’s ‘teaching moment’.

In more of his commentary, O’Reilly ‘taught’ that the white house was still under construction when John and Abigail Adams became the president and first lady respectively. There is alleged to be some notes from Mrs. Adams, among other things, inferring that the slaves she observed working on the white house were half fed and poorly clothed. She is also alleged to have opined that ‘12’ of those slaves did not do as much work as one of their New England white men. Neither Otto nor I has yet to hear about the correctness of that report emanating from Bill O’Reilly.

Odd (perhaps not! Predictable (perhaps)! Bill O’Reilly’s failure to arbitrate the veracity of the statement that flourished during Obama’s presidential campaigns: This has been a country built by white folks.

ABO, i.e., ‘After Bill O’Reilly’, we began to talk about gun violence in black neighborhoods. Included in the discussion was gang warfare and policemen killing young unarmed blacks. Otto mentioned local black criminals from his childhood. His opinion was that most in his neighborhood had no problem with the apprehension of criminals, even if black, and they surely believed in a nation of laws. Deeply tied to that belief was that the laws should be implemented fairly with blacks and whites ... Too often, they believed that was not the case. In no way does Otto accept that blacks are monolithic in thoughts about police. He has seen police (white and black) lauded for the arrest of known black criminals. There are times when blacks fight back after erratic police behavior. Those blacks may be applauded and those police condemned.

As though by memory, Otto cited names like Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Matthew Ajibade, and Eric Harris. He was quick to mention that they had been preceded by Eleanor Bumpurs, Abner Louima (sodomized with a broomstick-conviction), Amadou Diallo (41 shots), Patrick Dorismond, and so many others. There are countless stories all over the United States concerning unarmed blacks and Hispanics (women and men) killed/brutalized by cops ... white cops, black cops, Hispanic cops, and others.

With a wry smile, Otto recalled that he had once been close enough to see a black man ... violently ‘helped’ by police ... into a police station ... already beaten badly. Observation suggested that the man needed medical attention. Otto and his group waited to see if the beaten man would come out of the station preceding or subsequent to an ambulance, but he never came out at all. With a smile of disbelief in what he was going to say, Otto said the man surely received proper medical care in the police station. In the next day’s newspaper, there was no mention of the incident. Sarcastically, Otto opined that the man had probably done something drastic to himself, and it was not worthy of reporting ... a la apartheid South Africa.

According to Otto, a few years back, there had been a rash of incidents in the Philadelphia/New York area where black policemen (out of uniform) had been killed by white policemen who they (black policemen) were coming to aid. From that report, some might imply that one’s color seems to trigger negative reactions from some white officers. Otto added ... there is ‘American skin’ and there is American skin.

Sometimes Otto makes subtle digs and raises his eyebrows if I don’t comprehend as quickly as he thinks I should. It is not uncommon for him to say "oh yeah ... I forgot that you were not raised in a black neighborhood ... although I was.

Emphatically, Otto insisted that he was not attempting to sway me toward any belief, but so much of what he talked about, he had first hand information. As for me, he suggested that I continue to believe whatever I want. In most instances, he will resist requests from whites asking that he cite some examples of racism. He does not like the format and refuses to attempt to provide unimpeachable proof to those whites even of things that have happened to him. When mentioning such encounters, Otto may smile but makes it palpably clear ... not because it is humorous.

Citing the Department of Justice’s findings, in its investigation of the Baltimore police, Otto insists that the report mirrors the charges blacks have made against so many police forces in different American cities ... charges blacks have been making for years. In most cases, for most of those years, the black claims have been met with deaf ears or with disbelief by whites ... resulting in inaction. Then the cycle repeats.

Otto insisted that the police issue in black neighborhoods is just a subset of the whole racial problem in America. In non physical confrontations, involving blacks and whites, some have found it easier to change behavior. Attitudes may have remained constant resulting in subtle racial activity which at times, may not be so subtle.

Recalling one work day, Otto had gone to a deli to get lunch. There was a line where people were waiting to order their take-out lunches. Behind him, was a white man who seemed to wiggle his way to Otto’s side. The white woman taking the orders asked the white man to order. When Otto calmly said that he was next, the white woman smiled while ignoring his words. In confrontational situations, no matter how right they are, blacks are expected to be calm. The white man said nothing in support or opposition, made his order, and left the deli..

The woman with a bigger EEO (Equal Eating Opportunity) smile approached Otto, still in line, for his order. Otto ordered enough for 3 or 4 lunches. When it was brought to him, he did not accept it, turned around, and walked out of the deli. His behavior was less subtle than what the white woman and man had shown ... but he was calm.

Otto is willing to agree that there has been progress in race issues, but issues still remain. In a serious vein, Otto finds it comical that some whites claim to be appalled when they are referred to as racist, but don’t mind stating that blacks/browns do most of the crime. In other words blacks should not ‘profile’ whites as racist but acknowledge that police have a valid stance in profiling blacks/browns as criminals.

As to the police who were killed in Dallas and Baton Rouge, however tragic, Otto is amazed that it does not happen more often. In Otto’s view, no matter what is done to blacks, and however undeserved, too many whites seem to think that blacks should just shake it off. Not all blacks react to oppression in the same way. Some tire of ‘cheek turning’. Even the mildest person may feel the need to strike back when that person is continuously taken advantage of in so many ways.

Otto cited a dynamic that exists in many black families. In these families, there are family members who years ago left the South, clandestinely, after beating/killing a white provocateur. Some don’t return to the scene until many years later ... some never return. The incident is seldom discussed in that home, but the one who did the deed is surrounded by an aura of mystic heroism. To their peers, black children aware of that relative’s deeds would often boast about it. The black mystic hero would then become a hero to other black neighborhood children also.

Although not in history books at his school, Otto later learned that there had been slave revolts in the U. S. and whites were killed. At least dating back to World War I, there has been violence between black soldiers and local whites ... including white policemen.

Whatever the provocation, for years, black protests, by some whites, have been dubbed an over-reaction or not the right way. At school, Otto says that teachers would accuse blacks of being too sensitive on racial issues ... with no mention of the white involvement in the incident. The reality is that not all blacks are going to respond, to continued racial inequities non violently and in the same way. To some, turning the other cheek can become almost impossible ... after ‘turning’ cheeks for so long and so often, the cheeks may become rigid.

Without a doubt, it is commendable when blacks of any station condemn violence against police. Otto thinks that it should be equally praiseworthy for policemen to condemn those policemen who don’t fit the mode that most policemen claim to fit. Those who brutalize, are racists, sadists, et al, police must advocate their removal despite remnants of various blue codes.

It may sound Christ like, when blacks released from jail make it known that they have no hard feelings after being held for numbers of years for crimes they did not commit. Otto thinks that it must be extremely difficult to be Christ like to those continually not Christ like to you.

Let me emphasize that Otto never tries to paint himself as a victim. As to himself, he will always say. What Is ... Is. Misdeeds done to blacks, he is uncompromising in saying that the slightest misdeed done for racial reasons is too much. While acknowledging that so many blacks experienced far more than he did, he makes it clear that his empathy is total.

Sharing Otto’s words with you has become increasingly difficult, so please allow me to let Otto speak directly to you. That should be easier for all of us. For an introduction, of sorts, Otto begins his story about 3 years ago ... shortly after I met him. Let’s allow Otto to speak in the first person.

Chillin’ (One Saturday in May 2013)

I hadn’t been outside my house in a few days. That day I decided to break the mold. There wasn’t anything I was shopping for, I was just getting out. My first stop was the local mall. From store to store, I was walking and chillin’ as my grandson, Wes, so often says.

It was not the first time that I had gone through such leisurely exercise. However, that day I reflected on some things. My longevity allowed me to do that. First of all, I remembered when there were no malls. To myself, I asked ...are you truly that old? My answer ... the affirmative ... put a wide grin on my face.

It seemed that every store had a number of black clerks. At one time, the department stores hired only white clerks. If there were blacks working in those stores, they worked in a cleaning capacity. As I walked through the dress section of one department store, I saw men, who had probably grown tired of the wear and tear accrued when shopping with their loved ones, sitting on a couch ... chillin’. They seemed at peace.

Perhaps that visual peace was what motivated my choosing to sit on a nearby unoccupied couch. From my vantage point, I could see and hear some of the interaction between the customers and clerks. To say the least, it was interesting. Black clerks approached white customers asking if they could assist. On many occasions, the white customers would say no, sometimes with a smile, and almost immediately seek a white clerk for help.

When the roles were reversed, I saw black customers refuse white clerks and look for a black clerk. My counting system may have been unscientific, but whites rejecting blacks seemed to far outnumber blacks rejecting whites. I wondered if I were the only one observing the racial dynamics. Blacks and whites were sitting on the couches together within earshot and eyesight of the same dynamics I observed. Were interpretations the same?

When I left that mall, I decided to drive over to another mall in a neighboring area. I watched as a similar scene repeated itself. One of the black clerks, Vivian, at that store was/is a good friend of my wife. I did not approach her, but I decided that I would give her a call later that evening after she had returned home from work.

I told my wife what I had observed at the mall and asked her to dial her friend’s phone number for me. When Vivian picked up the phone, she started with Do I have something to tell you. After laughing, I told her to slow her roll before she released one of their intimate secrets. I could sense the disappointment in her voice when she learned I was not my wife.

I assured her that she could speak with my wife after I shared an observation with her. Before I started, I asked how her husband was doing. Vivian told me that he was fine and ‘demanded’ to know why I was calling. I told her that I had been at her work place and explained to her what I had observed between some of the clerks and customers. She told me that was an everyday occurrence. What she added was what I found interesting. According to Vivian, one of her white co-workers had complained about black customers refusing her help and then seeking help from a black. When Vivian told her that white customers do the same, her white co-worker vehemently denied that such was the case. Vivian said that they agreed to disagree.

After exchanging a few quips with Vivian, I gave the phone to my wife and left the room. Yes ... we still have a land line phone. That ‘mall behavior’ doesn’t necessarily depict the entire society, but such things continue to happen today although we claim to be so much more enlightened and tolerant. Some of Wes’ friends often tell me that the ‘race thing’ no longer exists. Today one has to be careful what he says to someone else’s children. The village no longer raises the child. Consequently, to them I respond ... I hope so.

A short time after that, I talked with my son and suggested that he share my mall observations with his son Wes. I encourage Wes not to be blind to reality. My son, Kwabina, said that he would tell him, but after thinking about it, he suggested that I tell him myself, because I tell things better. When he said that ... with what I know was a bit of bull. I knew that I would be re-telling the story when I saw Wes. The ‘Kwabina pattern’ had been used many times.

The Verdict (July 13, 2013 ~10:00p.m.)

I try to keep Wes aware of some of the racial dynamics that still exist. Until I see him, I have to store them in my memory bank. He is my captive audience, so he listens. When a dialogue between him and me results from the sharing, I am especially impressed. Pretty soon he will be 17 years old ... very near the age at which Trayvon Martin was killed. Wes doesn’t come around as often as he did when he was younger. Now he calls more often, but he still comes around. Today happened to be one of those days.

He and I, like so many others, had discussed the George Zimmerman trial. In my opinion, Trayvon Martin seemed to be the one on trial. If that is the case, perhaps Trayvon is the one who should have been judged by a jury of his peers. The prosecution had finished its closing arguments. Its arguments were followed by the defense’s closing arguments and then the prosecution’s rebuttal.

What I found especially revealing about the defense’s closing was what appeared to be a concession that Trayvon was racially profiled. Since there had been a number of burglaries (at least one was of a young white woman), by young black men, in that area, Zimmerman did what he was supposed to do according to the defense attorney.

Using that same line of logic, I wonder whether or not whites who claim to be appalled at being called racist feel the same way. Many blacks can certainly say that they have experienced racist tactics initiated by whites ... time after time and the whites always get away with it. Are those blacks then justified in calling any/every white a racist? What will the pundits do to that logic. My bad ... I forgot that it is not a crime to be racist. However, I still think the analogy is appropriate.

My grandson, Wes, said that he was going to spend the night, so we awaited the jury verdict together. Wes, was non-committal. I told him that I would be shocked if there were a conviction. In my view, the prosecution had not presented a strong case, and past cases made me wonder if a strong presentation would have mattered. There have been a number of cases where policemen have killed, without punishment, young unarmed blacks who they said they thought were reaching for weapons.

Zimmerman was no policeman, but the youngster, Trayvon, who he killed is just