Being an African American male, for years I have wanted to know why providers seem to discriminate on us. Seems like at least 30% of providers have "No AA" or no "African Americans" on their descriptions. Anyone providers or hobbysists care to weigh in on this??
Originally Posted by bhamshotcaller
Against all sane advice, I'm going to weigh in on this subject.
I would bet they have had too many bad experiences with AA men, who have probably tried to charm them and not pay, have shorted envelopes, have threatened them with violence and blackmail, or been rude to them. This has not been counteracted by the majority of decent AA men, presumably such as yourself, who have treated them well, paid the suggested fee, and went on their way. Further, they have probably been lucky enough to deal with other races, such as whites and asians and hispanics and jewish people, and had many good experiences, and have not been able to overcome that stereotyping in their minds. Hence, AA has become a shortcut in their minds for trouble, and non AA seems to be a easier group of clients.
It is likely they are missing out on some good customers, and that is their loss. However, given the highly personal nature of this hobby, I defend their right to discriminate in this matter, and I hope you do, also. If I were in your shoes, I would be highly aggravated by it, and have a sense of unfairness, but I'm betting you have created some defense mechanisms to deal with it. Good luck with the 70% who will see you, and in some cases, prefer you over me solely because I'm not AA, which perhaps will give you some sort of satisfaction of balance in the universe.