Dear editor,
Sadia Hussein was racially accosted and this should be thoroughly condemned. She was a victim of ignorant and self-defeating behavior of individuals who may have thought twice if they had actually known her.
I have interacted with Ms. Hussein a few times at the Woodson YMCA and found her to be a very warm and gracious person. But prejudice is based on assumptions, not reality.
This can also be said about common misperceptions about race and poverty. The chance that a white person lives in a project is almost 2 1/2 times that of an African-American, yet many mistakenly equate poverty with people of color.
Moreover, in the past three decades our society has become increasingly unequal against working people and the poor. The bottom 50 percent of the population lost $900 billion, while the top 1 percent cashed in $21 trillion.
Isn’t it to our benefit, then, to acknowledge our common humanity? How best to confront those who try to divide us along race from challenging their grotesque accumulation of wealth and power at our expense?
Bruce Grau of Wausau
Editor’s note: Sadia Hussein is a Wausau resident who recently described on Facebook a racist encounter she experienced in Wausau.
Editor’s note: The views of our readers and guest columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot and Review. To submit a letter, email us at [email protected] or mail letters to 500 N. Third St. Suite 208-8; Wausau, WI 54403.
