I was on my way to do the groceries the other day, when I came across an old college friend of mine. Both of us were taken aback by this encounter of chance. We pressed palms, hugged each other, and started talking. "Where have you been hiding yourself?" I asked. "Everywhere and nowhere." "I have been very busy of late looking for work" he said. "What, aren't you fully employed by now?" I asked. He replied and said no." "You must be kidding me." "No, I'm very serious" he said. "Well, it's not like I've been sitting on my arse, he said jokingly." "I've been applying for jobs like crazy." "But it's always this and that." "I just don't know what it is anymore." "The last time I had a job interview, they promised to call me back." "Three weeks have gone passed already, and I'm still waiting." "To tell you the truth, I don't know if it's my color, age, nationality or sex."
"Just about a week ago, I applied for this office job on the Internet." "Now, it specified that they were looking for a person who could start immediately." "Guess what?" "I applied, stating my qualifications, experience and all." "Do you know what they had to say when I got there?" "Sir, sorry to inform you, but your profile doesn't qualify you for this job." "Good luck on your further job pursuit." "That was the last time I heard anything from them." "Now tell me, what about some of the ladies whom we graduated with?" "Have you seen or even heard anything from some of them?" I asked. "Well, you do remember Naomi, right?" "Of course I do" I said. "She is now working as an editor." "A friend of a friend has it that, she is even married to the White guy who owns the magazine." "Wow, you don't say?" I asked. "Yes, that's right." "Brother, that's the truth" he said. "Do you recall when she said that, she couldn't stand White-boys back at college?" "Yes, I do remember." "Boy, I wonder what made her change her mind" I said.
I invited him over to my house the next day, so we could talk some more. We talked about some of the bright guys at our college, whom everybody knew were going to rule the world some day. There was this particular cat by the name of Frimpong. This guy was a genius in mathematics. So most naturally, I assumed that he was off to great things. However, strange as it may sound and seem, I was informed to my very surprise that, he is now working in a factory somewhere in Italy. Tomatoes processing factory to be exact. And that his wife is making more money than him, working as a secretary for an insurance company. Mind you, he was the one who brought the wife over from Ghana, paid her tuition fee and all.
In fact, during our conversation, what became obvious to both of us was that, those guys whom everybody were expecting to wrought wonders, were now doing all kinds of menial jobs to get by in White society. The ladies on the other hand, were up and flying. Therefore, I couldn't help but to conclude that, maybe White society is more gracious towards Black-women than Black-men. Of course, we all wondered why is that? Indeed, could it be true that, White society feels itself threatened by educated Black-men with money on their minds? "How do they see us?" I asked him. "Well, I don't know" you tell me. Honestly speaking, I feel that White society favors Black-women more than Black-men. Meaning, better job opportunities for Black-women than for Black-men. Now, I don't know why they do this deliberately. Even the motive behind this deliberate preference beats me. Therefore, could somebody shed some light on this issue please?