European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                In new York Atlanta mayor Andrew Young was mistaken for a hotel car Park employee. Traci despite gains Blacks face lingering prejudice by Lee May los Angeles times nce the positions they now hold and the Success they enjoy were virtually impossible for Black americans to achieve. A Wall of racism stood in the Way. But the civil rights movement of the 1960s helped Clear the Way. Then their own ambition skill and hard work did the rest. Now As politicians educators lawyers doctors they can enjoy the fruits of their achievement. For Black people who have made it to the top the rewards should seem especially Sweet. And yet sometimes lingering manifestations of prejudice still get in the Way. Atlanta mayor Andrew Young remembers coming out of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in new York when he was ,. Ambassador to the United nations. Just because i was Black some Guy wanted me to Park his car he said. I m going to my car and he gives me the keys to Park his. I took the keys and said Welcome to the Waldorf i turned and the Guys who Park the cars were elderly White gentlemen in uniform. And i. Gave it to one of them and they said of i m sorry or. Ambassador and i said no problem they were quite apologetic but i Don t think he Ever realized what  Bev Smith who is the Host of a radio talk show in Washington remembers an incident when she moved into a condominium Complex. When i lived in North Miami Beach i had a Little Villa. I thought i had arrived child. You had a private guard. It was patrolled 24 hours a Day. My Back Yard was right on a Lake. It was just wonderful it was just like heaven to me. I was cleaning up and unpacking boxes and this lady who had a very thick accent knocked on the door and said dahling is the lady Home it stunned me. I Don t know Why i did t say to the lady but for some reason i did  Smith added that later when her daughter came Home from College on a visit and went to the Pool to swim the lady walked up knocked on the door and said Girlie for some reason she never asked my name you know we Don t allow the help to swim i said that s a marvelous Rule. I live Here i m the lady of the House she went All red. She said you re the lady of the House you did t Tell me that i said you did t ask. You assumed that i was the cleaning lady. You did t even ask me my name. My name is Beverly Smith but most people Call me Bev she said Bev Smith the lady on the radio?1 after that her behaviour changed because she thought i was  for the most part the racism that was once exemplified by segregated lunch counters water fountains and schools has been trampled under by civil rights marches and eliminated by Federal Laws. But in Many ways the struggle against More Subtle racism the White habit of mistaking Black men for parking attendants or the Assumption that the lady of the House is always White in a wealthy neighbourhood is the toughest to win. Some Call it new racism or racism of the 80s. James Gibson director of the Rockefeller foundation National programs on equal Opportunity says this kind of Bias is an incubator of prejudicial attitudes and stereotypes which maintains social and cultural  such racism is particularly obvious to economically successful Blacks who otherwise seem to have gained acceptance in society. The incidents they encounter run from from the pathetically laughable to the fearsome and they meet it with anger with disenchantment and often with biting humor that holds Back the rage. Here Are some of their stories. Or. Lillian Beard a Washington paediatrician describes attitudes she meets in both professional and social situations As a physician i find in serving on boards and committees with my White colleagues the Assumption is that my patient Load must be the Urban poor. They will look to me to say Well that must be a real problem in your patient population meaning Low birth weight single Parent households problems of teen age pregnancy High infant mortality All the major problems. I usually pause to really listen closely and repeat to myself what the comment was so that i Don t just Fly off the handle. Then i usually say something to the effect that Well it is a major problem and it s one that we have to look at More closely and examine because something has to be done. However i am not Able to use my patient population As an example they re usually amazed because among my patient families Are people in the diplomatic corps congressional people and a number of professional people. Some years ago we arrived at someone s Home and rang the Bell. We heard from the other Side of the door they re Here we heard very quiet music As we were ringing the Doorbell. We had been in that House less than one minute before the Tempo and the Type of music changed. It was like get the Boogie music and in less than 15 minutes someone said Well Don t you All want to dance we looked at each other and said no we be been dancing All Day then we laughed. They did t laugh. They looked nervous and then they began to laugh. They did t get it. My husband is 6-41/2. Whenever we re in that kind of a setting we do a countdown on How Long it will take for someone to ask him does he play Ball. We could be at a judicial gathering and someone would not know he s a judge. And they d come Over and say those lakers Are really something Aren t they in the next breath the person would say did you play Ball of course he did not. In trying to find a common ground of conversation they would feel that sports would be the common ground. Or  Ronald Kirk assistant City attorney in Dallas and that City s Federal lobbyist meets Subtle racism when shopping there Are lots of upscale men s shops i just won t frequent. You see White Guys walk in and somebody greets them at the door asking would you like a Beer How about a coca cola and i could walk in and i would think god what would i have to do before somebody decided they were going to wait on me within the last year i was thinking of trading my. Bow so i went to a Bow dealer. I Felt like if i shot myself in the head these people would probably hand me a mop and ask me to clean it up before somebody would come out and presume that this Black Guy was interested in buying a Bow or porsche. I was actually offended enough by one of these sales Guys that i called up and discussed it with the owner of the Dealership. I sat there forever while the Salesman talked to some other customer. It was like a walk Back in time. You can t help but notice the difference in the Way other people Are being treated and the Way you re being treated. I used to spend a lot More time trying to understand that motive. Now my Way of dealing with it is to give that Money to somebody who appreciates  Kirk also remembers an experience similar to mayor Youngs with a twist at a social event a Guy handed me his car keys when he was coming out. I m standing there waiting on the Valet to bring my car. It s like you re Black and you re there so they presume you re a service person even though you have on a Tuxedo just like them. There s this Man handing me his keys. They re just used to it. They come in. They see somebody Black. So they come Over and say Check my coat Park my car.1 so i just took his keys out to the parking lot along with mine and threw them in a Flower pot. I did t say anything i just smiled. I thought it la be a Long time before he does this  successful Blacks often face a terrible conflict says Charles King who As director of the Urban crisis Center in Atlanta conducts seminars to help businesses schools and government agencies Deal with racial problems in their organizations. On the one hand he says they Are looking for something negative to happen every Day but on the other successful Black people always have to pretend that things Are of. It s like being a Chameleon. You have to change colors adopt a  the stars and stripes Page 13