Race Relations

"If you grow up in the South Bronx today or in south-central Los Angeles or Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you quickly come to understand that you have been set apart and that there's no will in this society to bring you back into the mainstream.  The kids have eyes and they can see, and they have ears and they can hear.  Kids notice that no politicians talk about this.  Nobody says we're going to make them less separate and more equal.  Nobody says that."  -Jonathan Kozol

We're seeing a lot of violence in the United States right now.  And if you listen, you'll hear many different reasons for that.  But most of those reasons are over-thought.  What I believe is the real reason is captured by the quote above by Jonathan Kozol.  Because of fear, middle and upper class White people exclude everyone else from "White" culture. This leaves everyone else feeling excluded and angry.  A lot of this anger erupts into violence and that is what we are seeing.  If we want the violence to stop, we have to find ways to create an inclusive society.

The situation African Americans are in is a good place to start.  White people have made and continue to make it clear to African Americans that they aren't wanted.  So what do many African Americans do?  They go live together in run-down, dangerous urban centers in part because it's the only place they feel welcome.  I don't blame them.  But that separation just causes more ignorance in both Black and White people and that ignorance perpetuates the problem.  

What can we do?  In many ways, our nation is becoming more inclusive.  Acceptance is being given to some minority groups that wasn't given in the past.  The LGBTQ community is rapidly gaining acceptance.  In many parts of the country misogyny is no longer accepted.  These are good things.  But the dialog about race in our country needs to shift from arguments about what's wrong to statements of solidarity.  All of us need to stop criticizing other people and start looking at what we can do to make this a country that welcomes everyone.  If nothing else, go smile at someone from a different group.  Speak to them.  We can all do our part. 

If we put our energy into working together, for the benefit of all of us, we can turn this country around.