Reflection

By Z

On this eve of the coming New Year, I hope we will all take a few minutes to reflect on our relationship with Race.

How many times during the last year did you challenge some racist thought or action in someone else?

How many times during the last year did you pull out your own racist thought patterns and examine them?

A few days ago, I was sitting at my computer watching the world go by on my street when 3 young Latinos came into view – I immediately popped up to see what they were doing.  This knee jerk reaction is something I am working on – Why shouldn’t they be walking through my neighborhood?  My training as a white woman is to be suspicious.  This is reinforced by the dominant culture that constantly sends messages to be wary of “suspicious people,” those whose skin color does not match my own. 

Relearning is a long and thoughtful process that requires constant attention and vigilance.  Opening up my mind to other possibilities, recently I saw an interview with sociopolitical comedian and TV host, W. Kamau Bell, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA1Kjk1rBMo which helped me understand more about families who have mixed race children in them. 

Additionally, I frequently read “A Few Shades Braver Blog” by racial healing professor and author, Dr. Catherine Meeks to give me more perspective in our turbulent times.

A wonderful piece on “Woke” by Dr. Meeks  https://www.centerforracialhealing.org/post/be-woke.

Take a few minutes out of your busy life and reflect on race- it can change the world.

(This was written by “Z”, not “Admin” as it says below)