I recently read this article:
At some level, I wonder why we care about such things. Certainly the Census/government collecting these data hearkens back to the very foundation of our country, written into the Constitution itself. I wonder, though, if the evaluation of racial divides is an appropriate use of government time/effort.
But then I consider the reality.
I cannot help my skin color. My ancestors are a fairly mixed bag of ethnic and racial groups, but predominately represent those countries associated with northern Europe. Whatever the reason, the skin pigments they passed down to me make my skin a lighter color than others. This skin color has become associated with certain stereotypes, some of which are appropriate, some of which are not. But because of my skin color, I am afforded opportunities that others may not. Further, my daily life is affected in ways that are impossible to quantify but nevertheless very real.
As an example, I once visited a sporting goods store in the Seattle area. It was a typical mall store, with typical security/employees. I was about 16 at the time. I was looking for a hat. While standing at the display, looking for a ball cap I wanted, he clerk and security guy glanced in my direction but otherwise paid me little attention (attention I actually wanted, as I could not find the hat I wanted). Then a couple of guys came in. The only thing different about them was the color of their skin - their ancestral heritage was obviously of a different geography than mine. The clerk and the security guy stopped their conversation and came over and stood directly behind these two young men. I mean, right behind them. The young men were closely monitored until they left the shop, whereupon the clerk and the security guy went back to their previous positions near the cash register.
I was stunned at what I saw.
Two things troubled (and continue to trouble) me. The first was that because of their dark skin pigment, as opposed to my lighter skin pigment, these young men merited a different kind of treatment. The young men were wearing more expensive clothing than I was. They clearly had money and intended to use it to purchase goods available at that store. Yet their skin color singled them out - as a potential threat? - and they got treated differently because of it.
The second thing that bothered me is that the young men were so obviously accustomed to such behavior that it did not bother them. I have later learned, from my own experience in a different country where I was the minority, what it is like to be the subject of public scrutiny. It is uncomfortable, it is disruptive, and it is unfortunate. It is also very real. The attention I got, unwelcome as it was, was generally (but not universally) positive in nature. I was a missionary, which carries a fairly positive connotation anyway. Light colored skin is (for some reason I'm not familiar with) desirable and associated with beauty, while dark skin may be otherwise associated. Unfortunate, but true. So even though I experienced something like what the two young men in the above story were so obviously accustomed to, I do not really know exactly what it's like to be of darker skin color.
Dr. King said that he had a dream where people would be judged by the content of their character, not on the color of their skin. This is an amazing statement because it involves getting to know someone, coming to appreciate who they are, who they REALLY are, and not respecting outward appearances. I don't want people to judge me for the way I look. I really don't. That may be a part of the experience, but it is not who I AM. In such a world, race would not even really be a factor at all, because we would each look at each other with respect, admiration, and deference.
There ought to be a way to celebrate one's uniqueness without the baggage associate with race. I don't know how, and I'm open to suggestions. But I believe it can be done.
Until that day, when Dr. King's dream becomes a reality (and we may be closer now than we were before - but there's still a long way to go!), we should continue to find ways to break down the divides and reach common consensus on things. In this way, we are all made stronger.
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