A triangle has three points, and in this case those represent members of the black and white races, as well as white people with “skin in the game” because they have family members of color.
April Schrump is a prime example. Her oldest child, Dustin, is white, and Maezi and D’arrae are black. This 40-year-old mother birthed Dustin when she was 16 years old, Maezi at 20, and D’arrae 13 years years ago, and she has appropriately handled sneers, jeers, and blatant racism for a lot of years.
But no more. Since the killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis, protests against police brutality have taken place throughout the country, and also the outrage has perpetrated an awareness campaign concerning white privilege. That’s were Schrump comes into play.
“I’ve lost some friends, I’m not going to lie, and some of them I thought loved and cared about me and all three of my kids,” Schrump explained. “A lot of white people think because they have worked hard for what they have today that they haven’t benefited from their white privilege, and they refuse to accept why they have it and always have. That frustrates me and recently, I have gotten into conversations that have caused people to not be my friend anymore.
“We all work hard to get what we have, and our skin color doesn’t matter,” she said. “But they don’t get it. They just can’t understand that their white skin has opened doors instead of closing them, and they don’t want to believe that they may not have what they have today if their skin was black instead of white.”
White Mom and Her Kids
For three years, Schrump lived at Grandview Manor, once a large public housing development in Wheeling that was located near the city’s downtown. She moved in 1999 before Maezi was born because the housing authority opted to demolish the buildings.
“I learned a lot during those years, and there have been times when I think those were the best three years of my life,” she said. “Everyone was so nice to me and Dustin, and the color of our skin mattered to no one there. I never heard a thing about being a white woman.
“Once Maezi was born and I had a black child, I didn’t hear one thing from any of my black friends, but I did hear from some of my white friends about it,” Schrump said. “I’m sure that some of them look down at me because I have black kids. I’m sure of it because I have come across some who hold it against me because it disgusts them that I slept with a black man. There are just people out there who don’t like black people, and I have already been told that I am too pretty a white woman to have black kids. Well, that person got blocked on social media, but that stuff happens and it infuriates me. And it also breaks my heart.”
That’s why she has chosen to remain silent no more.
“Up until recent events, I thought I had surrounded myself and my children with people who genuinely loved us and saw us for who we are,” Schrump explained. “Now, that’s not changed with everyone, but I have definitely seen and heard that it wasn’t the case with everyone. That’s been hurtful.
“I am a genuine person, and I know there are a lot of people who respect my kids because of they go about being themselves. They are good people, and they are smart and athletic,” she continued. “But I also have to wonder how they would be treated if they weren’t my kids and if my white privilege wasn’t a part of their lives. I believe because my skin is white, other people kind of look past the color when it comes to Maezi and D’Arrae.”
Life in the Triangle
It was a wake up call for the country’s Caucasian population when George Floyd was killed by four police officers after allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill, and Schrump admits it ignited an anger that had been squelched for far too long.
Her friends seemed just fine with Maezi and D’Arrae when in their presence, but the conversation concerning “white privilege” stirred some in Schrump’s life to express what she has considered as uneducated comments.
“I didn’t lose any friends until I started to stand up for my kids and not take it anymore, but since I have been vocal, I have lost friends,” she confirmed. “Some of them refuse to agree with me because they don’t want to recognize their white privilege. They tell me that they have worked very hard for what they have, but the hard work has nothing to do with it.
“Some of them want to paint me as anti-police because I talk about systemic racism,” she said. “But we know there are problems and the last thing I want is for my kids to be mistreated because I am not with them. Just the thought of that brings tears my eyes.”
For some reason, some people feel its socially acceptable to continue blurting racial slurs even in front of her.
“What I say after I hear the N-bomb depends on the situation,” Schrump said. “If I am at a close friend’s house and someone says it, I expect my close friend to take care of it out of respect to me and my kids. A lot of time, those friends have handled the situation.
“What makes no sense to me is that some people even know than I have black kids, and they still say it around with me. They know I can hear them, but they still say it,” she said. “That’s why I feel bad that I used to ignore it, but that’s not the case anymore. If you know about Maezi and D’Arrae and you still say it? You couldn’t be more disrespectful to me, and that disgusts me. I feel as if I have overlooked too many of them, but now it’s different. From now on, I’m going to stand up for my kids because I believe they deserve to be treated the same way I am. We are all human, so why does the color of someone’s skin mean so much?”
