It is not enough anymore. We can say we are not racist. We can say we’ve never been racist. We can say we support the fight against racism. All of these things may be tru, but it is still not enough.
I heard someone say today that we all can use whatever platform we have to contribute. This is mine.
I grew up in a Chicago suburb. There were only 2 black kids in my high school; they were brothers who had been adopted by a white family. It was the 70’s. I remember that I heard racist jokes and that I found them distasteful, but not enough to say anything about it. When I moved to California there were very few people of color at my high school and I continued blissfully unaware of the differences others had to face. Even when I went to college, I was aware of increased diversity, but I never saw, or was affected by racism in any way… as far as I knew.
I wasn’t enough.
I remember when the Mormon Church (which I grew up in) finally decided to allow Blacks to be “full” members. The official reasoning was that prophecy had come from God that told them to change the rules. It always bothered me that the church never admitted that they were wrong for their racist policies. I didn’t know anyone who was personally affected, so I never said anything or asked any questions.
It wasn’t enough.
Later, when I lived in Louisiana and Mississippi, I was exposed to real racism for the first time in my life. I was shocked at the things I heard people say. I was amazed that white churches and black churches were separate. I was surprised that I could visit “black“ churches and be welcomed, but blacks could not come to a “white” church down the lock. Again, I thought it was enough for me not to have that attitude. I could go into neighborhoods, where I was told I shouldn’t be because of my skin color, and talk with people because I was “from the church.”
It wasn’t enough.
When I became a teacher, the first high school I worked at a school with many different ethnicities. My intent was to treat all kids the same no matter their color or background. I did that and I was able to connect with students on a deep level because they knew I saw them as individuals.
It wasn’t enough.
Truth be told, this isn’t about me. Although my story weaves into the Story of those people I have shared my life with, this is about their story and how effectively I have woven into their lives. I have been focusing on “not seeing color” so that I could only see people. That is not enough. I need to see people with their color and know and understand how that part of who they are affects, not only how they see the world around them, but also how the world sees them, and that matters. If I truly want to see the people around me, I need to see everything about them.
I see you.
