Educating Ourselves on the Topic of Race
A woman from the black community was frustrated when having a conversation with a person from the white community, "It's not our responsibility to educate you on racial issues and racial history, you need to do your own research if you want to enter into the conversation of race". She was correct. Many in the white community don't feel the need to entrench themselves with this topic, as most of us focus on the daily grind of work and family and it's not really an interest that concerns our community as it may with other communities. Also, the white community could be more unknowing of these issues and concerns regarding race as it has not been taught or handed down or handed down to them generationally. For those that do take an interest in racial issues today find much useful information on search engines, on the history of racial conflicts in the United States and throughout the world, which prepares them to have a conversation with confidence. It is always best to get your information from several sources in order to get a more rounded amount of information. Always be willing to look at opposite points of view and to have an open mind when doing your research. We should never be afraid of the truth, and we should always be willing to change our mind. It is when we become defensive and unwilling to engage in open discussions with regards to race, that makes someone look weak and filled with fear. We should be strong and confident individuals in our conversations, and that comes from knowledge and understanding. All humans have the same emotions of fear and insecurities, but these can be overcome. Read, read, read.
Educating Ourselves on the Topic of Race
The number one issue that we hear coming from the black community is not that the white community take responsibility for the acts and effects of slavery and the Jim Crow era, but that they feel that the white community doesn't care about it and that there is no understanding or acknowledgement of it. That the white community "still doesn't get it". We often hear that the white community does not understand because they are not black and therefor will never truly fell or understand what it is to be black in America today. The same is true for the white community. If you are not white, you cannot feel or understand the issues that affect the white community as well. Try to realize that as we are all human, everything we say about one community, can be said about all communities. Only the dynamics are different. When we hear of stories of being followed in a store as a minority, some in the white community have experienced that as well. Or when a woman clutches her purse when a certain male comes near, or when police harass or use excessive force on members of the public, that also happens in the white community as well, but how would someone else know if they aren't being told these things. The number of encounters will be different, but as fellow humans, the white community also deals with these types of issues as well. Having said that, the white community has an opportunity to help advance race relations by being the first to reach out to the black and non-white community, to let them know that we do care and that we should learn more history on the subject of race and race relations, and that we will work to understand and acknowledge your past and present as well. When the black and non-white community truly feel that the white community is showing true sincerity and an understanding of their experience, they will then reciprocate in kind and will then listen and understand the issues that we face as well. We should all stay away from always denying, deflecting, defending, and debating the topic to death. Instead, we should all take the time and effort to truly understand the other side's point of view and not always disagree because it is not your truth. Someone's truth is what we believe, and what we believe should be left alone, as long as it's not built on hate. Â
Educating Ourselves on the Topic of RaceÂ
Another issue that all communities face today with regards to race, is the constant drum beat of negativity directed at all communities every day. Unfortunately, with today's social media, one of the negative aspects of the platforms is that it allows the freedom of those with negative or hateful views to advertise their negativity and hatefulness without fear of being confronted or exposed. Whether it is people burning crosses or the waving of the confederate flag, or a swastika symbol, or any racial comments in a hateful manner, this paints a negative image on the white community. We also see negative posts towards the white community, calling all white persons racist by birth, and that only white people can be racist. Also, that only whites have unconscious bias, micro aggressions, white privilege, or that whites hate all other races other than their own. There are also daily posts on what the white community should or not say to non-whites when engaging in conversations. These types of verbal racial assaults and hateful behaviors do so much damage to race relations in America, that we must work so much harder to accomplish the goal of racial unity. The white community should never speak of the word black. The word black should not exist. The word black should be erased from the white community's vocabulary. Unless of course you wish to say, "I love black people". "Black people are great"! Other than that, keep the verbal and behavioral door closed. The black community should also never speak of the word white. The word white, should not exist. The word white should be erased from the black communities' vocabulary. Unless of course you wish to say, "I love white people". "White people are great"! Other than that, keep the verbal and behavioral door closed. Remember the old saying, "if you can't say anything nice about somebody, don't say anything at all".Â
Educating Ourselves More
The number one issue that I hear coming from the black community is that "the white community still doesn't get it". That the white community doesn't care about the history of the black community, that there is no understanding of the black community, or any acknowledgement that they do. The white community feels that there is a negative obsession with race and the black community feels the white community is in denial of it. It is understandable that both communities would be coming at this topic from different points of perspective, so there needs to be an ability to listen closely to each other without the objective of disagreeing or being correct, and instead, listen to each other's suggestions on how to come to terms with each other's perspectives, experiences, and desirable outcomes. Finding solutions is the key. One topic that the white community could take the lead on, is to acknowledge the past injustices that can have a generational effect on the present-day generations of the non-white community. This does mean to take responsibility for the past actions of others, but only to show an acknowledgement that we have empathy and an understanding of the past. Another issue that all communities face today with regards to race is the constant drum beat of negativity directed towards all communities, including the white community every day. Unfortunately, with today's social media, one of the negative aspects of these platforms is that it allows the freedom for those with negative or hateful views to advertise their negativity and hatefulness without fear of being confronted or exposed. We should all reframe from speaking negatively about members of another community. Let it be that all communities should police their own communities and call out and correct those who are placing a negative stain or image on their own community. Whoever creates conflicts with other communities, creates conflict for their own community that is very difficult to rectify. The negativity has got to cease.
United States of America
The United States of America is the greatest country in the world, and we all should show our love of country by living up to its message of freedom.Â
Law Enforcement
The United States of America is the greatest country in the world, and we all should show our love of country by living up to its message of freedom.Â
Law Enforcement
The United States of America is the greatest country in the world, and we all should show our love of country by living up to its message of freedom.Â
Remembering Past Injustice
 The date was June 11, 1963, and I was six months old crawling around on my carpeted living room floor in a St. Louis Suburb, looking up at my two wonderful parents while my five older siblings were there admiring the new edition to the family. I was thinking how lucky I was to have such a great family and such love and attention that was coming my way. I was also admiring my new house and the security and safeness of it all. How lucky I was to come into the world in this fashion! Unfortunately, not knowing all the while that right down the highway, there was a government official, actually the Governor of the great state of Alabama, who was standing in the doorstep of the entrance of the University of Alabama, blocking the door so that two black American citizens could not enter. The Governor was basically saying that we don't like you and we don't want you here and to go away. The two citizens were Vivian Malone and James Hood. When some people say that the history of race is so long ago and there is no remanence or after effect, when actually, it is in our recent past. Vivian Malone died in 2005, and James Hood dies in 2013, and they both had kids and Grandkids that of course heard of their life experiences. These experience from the black community are imbedded in the consciousness of their communities being, which of course is going to be much different than the experiences of the white community. These experiences and stories are passed down to each generation in order for the new generation to help deal with any instances that could occur today. The white community do not have these stories to tell. That is why is so important for us to listen and hear these stories to that we can understand, acknowledge, and show empathy for those who have suffered in the past. The civil rights act of 1964 cannot erase all of this history and the circumstances that come along with it. We must embrace this understanding in order to have any sort of reconciliation. This does not in any way secure our responsibility for these past transgressions, but to show empathy and an understanding of the past.Â
On a good note, in the late 1970s the Governor apologized to civil rights activists for his past beliefs and for resisting desegregation. Hopefully, we can all redeem ourselves before God and Man before we pass, for all of our weaknesses and failures in life. Â
Remembering Past Injustice
Another story with the focus on redemption. In the summer of 1961, 21-year-old John Lewis, who would later become a Civil Rights Icon for the black community, as well as becoming a United States Congressman for the great state of Georgia, was driving through the south as freedom riders, consisting of both black and white men looking to institute change with regards to segregation. The freedom riders stopped at a bus station in South Carolina, when they were attacked and beaten by a mob of men until police intervened. This would not be the first time John Lewis would be attacked and beaten along his long civil rights journey. Forty-seven years later, one of his attackers heard that he had become a United States Congressman and went to meet with Congressman Lewis in his Capitol Hill office. Former Klansman, Elwin Wilson, who was a 21-year-old former Klansman, apologized to Congressman Lewis and stated that he wanted to make amends to all those he had hurt with his racial hatred and asked for forgiveness. John Lewis later explained about the meeting that Elwin Wilson cried, Mr. Wilson's son who was with them cried, and then John Lewis Cried. John Lewis then stated that "His story and the way Mr. Wilson arrived at his position must be understood, must be told." Also, Mr. Wilson was the first private citizen, the very first to come and apologize to me... for a private citizen to come along and say, " I'm the one that attacked you; I'm the one who beat you.' It was very meaningful."Â
If only we can see things how they should be or can be in the future, now, instead of waiting until we mature and grow wiser with time. If only we could prevent the need for reconciliation now in the present, there would not be a need for redemption in the future.  Â
We need to see more of this!
Imagine reading an article of a white man listening to the heartbeat of his deceased daughter's heart with a stethoscope from the chest of a black man who was her recipient. These types of occurrences between the races on a daily basis that no one ever hears about is very disappointing, as if more people from all races see that there are so many more positive interactions from all the races of people every minute of the day from every corner of our country, we would realize that that are forces out there that seem to want to bury these stories and interactions. Let us work together to put these stories out there to counter all of the negative output regarding race, and to let others know that there are more positive voices and behaviors than not.
These are the stories and behaviors that divide us!
Whether you are tainting the white community internally by showing hate for others or attacking the white community externally with attacks accusing the entire white community of white supremacy or racism, the white community feels that it is being falsely associated with the hatred from others, the fear of others, and the negative behavior of others. Each community should work on their own communities from within, in order to squash the negative forces that tear down the image of the communities as a whole. These negative posts, comments, and the hateful behaviors have got to stop, in order for us to move the ball of race relations further down the field! Â
LET US FIX THE PROBLEMS OF OUR OWN COMMUNITIES. WE DON'T NEED YOU TO FIX US, AND YOU DON'T NEED US TO FIX YOU!Â
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