Let’s Talk for a Second about Stereotyping

Let me start by saying I am a straight, white female. I know I have not experienced discrimination the same way other people have. That’s not what this is about. I have mad respect and sympathy for those people. But, I did witness an unnecessary instance of stereotyping recently.

So, I went for a run on Sunday morning along the Riverwalk in Baraboo. I ran past a girl I know from book club. Now I wasn’t expecting to have a long conversation with her. She was on the phone and I was breathless from the miles I had already run. However, I did smile and say hi. She made eye contact with me but did not acknowledge me. I assumed she was wrapped up in the phone call.

On Tuesday, we had a book club meeting. I mentioned that I had seen her and she said, “Oh, that was you? I didn’t even recognize you. I just assumed it was just some runner jock.”

Now, please let me point out that for this meeting we read Evicted by Matthew Desmond. It tells the stories of different families and individuals in Milwaukee dealing with eviction and the turmoil that comes with it.

Eviction affects black females in Milwaukee the most. They, of course, are not the only people evicted in a city like Milwaukee, but they make up the greatest percentage of evicted tenants. We spent over an hour discussing the labels and perceptions landlords and outsiders place on these individuals.

Taking a step outside the book, we live in a time were people are fighting for rights and pronouns. As a nation we have taken steps backward in equality. In the grand scheme of things, one person stereotyping me as a “jock” and therefore not being worth her time or acknowledgement is microscopic.

It’s the mindset that bothers me. Without knowing who I was she stereotyped me and ignored me. From what I gathered during discussion, she is unprejudiced toward race and gender identification. So why is any form of stereotyping okay?

Why is it okay to stereotype the runner she sees on her walk on a Sunday morning?

There should not be exceptions. It is important to tear down those walls and let everyone in.

Again, I know I have it way better than those out there fighting for basic rights and acknowledgement. But that’s why I wanted to speak out about this. We need to shift our mindsets.