Since I wrote the previous article on Healthy Conversations on race, I’ve found more resources that are so helpful for understanding racism, it’s historical roots, and the attitudes that allow racism to continue. I’ll be honest, these resources have helped me understand the struggles of the modern African-American community, and it’s given me a greater sense of compassion for my friends who are a part of the majority culture. My eyes have been opened to the racism that still exists today. There have been some tears shed. Like many of you, I believed the lie that the schools fed me. I thought the civil rights movement got rid of most legal racism. I knew it didn’t stop people from being racist, but I didn’t realize that racism still existed in legal forms, but in disguise.Continue Reading
Healthy Conversations about Race
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the issue of systemic racism–specifically as it pertains to African-Americans. As I’ve been reading people’s posts on social media, I’ve encountered some encouraging dialogue. Yes, some of it is negative. Some people have completely missed the point of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Because it’s not a “perfect” movement, some people want to completely dismiss the essence of the message.
One thing I’ve realized is that whites are often timid in bringing up the subject of race for fear of offending us (the non-white person.)
One of the most offensive things that people regularly say to me is this: “I don’t see color. I just see people.”Continue Reading