Work Text:
Discrimination in America
by Kitten Skysong
Anna Jackson was a very hard worker; she did everything her boss asked her to do. She was an attentive listener and asked questions when she didn’t understand something. She was also, and Anna was stupid enough to believe it didn’t matter she was pagan.
Anna never made a secret of this fact, though she didn’t shout it from the rooftops. She only discussed it if asked. For the Wicca reed specifically forbade shoving ones religions down another’s throat.
She had gotten a job for a local humanitarian center ran by another religion. The Church of Latter Day Saints. She had asked in the interview if her religious beliefs would be a problem and was assured it wasn’t.
Three months latter a woman at work threatened Anna, Screaming at her that she should meet her at the bus stop. Anna had stared dumbly at her for a minute. All she had done was to say she hated chopping onions. There was no need for the black co-worker to react like this.
Her boss wouldn’t listen to Anna when she told her that was all that had happened instead telling her she was a racist and sending her home. Anna’s brothers wanted to beat the black girl up, but she talked them out of it saying it wouldn’t solve anything.
A week went buy and Anna’s boss called Anna into her office “You’re fired. I’m sorry.”
“But I told you I never made those remarks!” Anna protested, angry at the way she was being treated. This was racism she thought, but it was directed at her the white girl.
“You’re fired because you talk about your religious beliefs I’m sorry.” The boss repeated.
Anna fought to keep from crying with anger and shame. Heat rushed to her face. “Yeah, she threatens me and I’m fired right your really sorry.”
She turned on her heal and rushed out stopping only long enough to grab her stuff from her locker. The unfairness of it stung her badly. IT was okay for them to insist on a religious meeting every week, but she couldn’t even answer a question about her religion without being fired.
Anna got home without crying or throwing herself under a bus. There at home she bawled her eyes out into her dog’s fur.
The end.