White folks, would you have been offended by this?

Yesterday, a white co-worker of mine came into our company's conference room while my boss (a black lady) and another co-worker of mine (also black) were sitting in the room. My boss turns to the white lady and jokingly tries to chide her for coming into the room. She said, "Look here whitey!" She was laughing and smiling the whole time and then proceeded to tell the lady to go around the back of the table, "Like you made us to all those years."
White people, would that have offended you?
And black folks, what would you have said/done in this situation?
Thanks for the replies!

Just for the record, I spoke with the white co-worker this morning. I told her that I felt the incident was totally inappropriate and that I do not condone that behavior. I was absolutely offended by what my boss had said.
I have been called out of my name because of my race before and I know what it feels like, so I'm super sensitive to these types of situations.
The co-worker said that she was not offended. I was astounded!
(I didn't want to influence anyone's answers by including these details up front as I thought people would say, "She wasn't offended, so why should you be?". In my personal experience, I was highly offended when it happened to me and I was just wondering if other whites would be upset by this.)

Shelby,
I see the inappropriateness that you speak of and I can only speak for myself when I say that I would personally not even ponder such a statement about any person different from me - this too includes another persons weight or disability.

I think YOU need to be commended for what you attempted to say to your colleague. Your colleague also said she was not offended so I would leave it "there" with her. As far as the boss is concerned I would have a personal one on one with her and let her know your thoughts on the matter.

I can't honestly tell you here whether I would of been offended or not - I am usually the type of person that sits back and think/ponder/reflect on statements anyway. If I had been offended I would have kept it to myself, if I had not been offended I too would have kept that to myself - in the end I would have just maintained a neutral stance and no one would have known my thoughts on the matter.

You are a very decent caring person.

Gerry :)

Shelby,
I applaud you for bringing an issue that still today requires much more attention from all of us. One that unfortunately stirs up emotions in people differently. WE are Americans and WE need to all work together - no matter the circumstance.

Gerry :) Report It

i would have laughed mi black @$$ off

If you really think about it, it's more offensive to the black lady making the joke... maybe she has hang-ups with her own race

I think that was stunningly inappropriate, and I'd have called her on it immediately either as a bystander OR as the boss.

The boss's boss had an immediate duty to shut that down immediately and to document it. Failure to do so makes it harder to respond appropriately if the tables are turned and a white person lets fly with the N word....because the offender can claim disparate treatment of similar offenses.

Yes, I think I would be offended. Even if it were a joke.

your co-worker is racist




i would not like that, as a white i am







???????

Yes i would have been Offended. Even if she was just joking around no one can call me that...it is very rude

that wouldnt of offended me at all id probably laugh and say hey i was in italy!! no slaves 4 me

I would of said **** you ill sit where I want, Jokingly that is, that is if it was a friend and sum one i knew If it wasn't I would of said that seriously.

And it doesn't Matter What white people did all those years because most of the black people alive today never went through the intensity of discrimination that their was back then, most black people don't really care what happened to their ancestors they just use that to justify being racist towards whites.

Not if it was someone I knew well and I knew we could joke like that.Someone I barely knew, I'd wonder if they were racists though.

that wouldnt offend me

umm if she was laughing, maybe not.. but it's still a little unnessecary. then again it really depends on your bosses personality. if she jokes around a lot it was probably really obvious that it was just supposed to be funny, but if it was just so out of no where i probably would've been a little offended.. like what was the point of that

Whoa. I would have not laughed at that! That is sooo inappropriate. Especially coming from a boss at WORK! If that happened to a black person their would be a lawsuit!

Not funny. Chances are that lady never had to go to the back of the bus either.

Not offended, but puzzled that someone would think this innocently humorous. It would make me wonder at the motives of the person, and make me not trust them behind my back.

It takes a lot to offend me.

I think you have made this up, there is no way this has happened in an office especially with a boss. She would be thrown out. Stop making up lame stories. And everyone knows the people who answered you are also either you with a different avatar or white kids. Stop it you look lame. She is a white boy bored lonely sitting in his basement on a friday night just pity him lol

Hell yeah that would of offended me you can't put past blame on the people of today.

That was pretty stupid for anyone to do, black or white. Way cool name, nice, I mean really nice, car!

well, it depends on whether i knew the people well or not. but i probably would laugh

yes

I am not white or black, but I must say, even if done jokingly, this can cause tension. I work in an environment where there are people from every part of the world, and I would be very surprised to see something like this.

Where are you from?

Oh, wow, yeah! Uncomfortable for all, and totally inappropriate! Reverse the situation and the slang, and how would you feel?

No. I would just have said Bollocks - don't be so ******* stupid

i would be mad

I guess it would depend on the atmosphere at your job, if all of you ladies are close and friendly... but yeah, even though i have been at my job 6 years with all women and we're pretty close-knit... i wouldn't be able to help being a little bit offended. I may even have gone to HR with it honestly, just because i'm a sensitive gal and take things personally.

Stop that is a lie nothing like that could of happen in an office setting

VERY unprofessional for your boss to carry on like that even if she was joking.
It's called keeping it in the closet.

I think it is pretty crappy of her to do this. Especially in an office environment. As to each their own, but could cause her to loose her job.

it depends on how friendly I was with these people.But it sounds dumb to say whitey or blacky I guess, I don't know anyone who says either???

maybe. i would wonder what was up. if she knew the coworker she was chiding and they joke, it might have been okay. but even so you shouldn't joke like that at work.

Although I would never work for a negro, in this case i would have said "Yassuh, mammy!" then tap danced around the table to my seat.
Your boss is a psycho.