I just finished reading in the Springfield News and Leader an article by Marta M. Helm about racial prejudices in the late 40′s. This story, along with comments I have heard from others reaffirms my belief that children are color blind when it comes to skin and we as a society, brainwash them.
I was born and lived for nine years in a society that racial issues were an unknown to me because there was no one there that you could say was racially different. I had no idea what my parents attitudes were on the subject until we moved to Springfield, MO. My parents were devout Church of Christ followers, in fact, my father was a minister, or maybe I should say evangelist. We still did not talk about it much. My mother had many prejudices and what I sensed was racial prejudice. but my father appeared to be color blind. This opinion was only what I sensed and observed. I did not grow up feeling much prejudice. There were a few slang type descriptions used like something being fixed and slapped together was “nigger rigged”. Actually, I’ve always been proud of myself when I am able to creatively solve a problem using what I have using no new parts or spending any money.
I went to school in Springfield being exposed to a variety of races, the predominate one being black. Grade school had a few blacks, junior high had more and high school was probably 20% or better black with a few Asians and Mid-Easterners sprinkled in. Springfield has drastically changed in my lifetime with the attraction to our medical centers of doctors being of all races, the general migration of Hispanics Asians and the return of some of the black population.
Springfield has had an ugly skeleton in its’ closet since 1906 when three blacks were lynched on the square after the disappearance of two women. The black population was roughly 10% of Springfield before the lynchings and 5% afterwards. The pre-lynching black population were a mix of doctors, attorneys, successful business owners, etc. What a cultural loss for this city!
I have a son, his wife and two nieces and their mates that are a part of the academic world or are well-educated. I shot candid photography at all of their weddings. The first niece to get married has a doctorate in neurobiology and her husband a doctorate in computer science. The wedding and party were melting post of all sorts of cultures and races. This is when I first really became aware that racial differences area non-issue to these people. I observed the people closely. A lot of the talk was above my head since they, like most of us, talk of work and career at such events. What I noticed is what I would call racial unconsciousness. I saw no behavior that indicated any awareness of racial differences. The common denominator being their intellect and the respect for each others academic accomplishments. This nieces’ husband was a native of New Zealand and Australia.
The second nieces’ marriage was more diverse in many ways. Her husband was a native Texan and Hispanic I believe. My observations at this wedding, held outdoors in the Texas hill country created an uplifting warmth in me because of all the love that seemed to eminate from everyone. The love between the niece and her adopted family was a thing to behold. I would have to say her husband is one of the warmest people I have ever met. In viewing my photos later, they truly represent what I observed at the wedding.
My son has a doctorate in cultural anthropology and his wife I believe, has a masters degree. Never-the-less they both teach at universities in Virginia. My son did his undergraduate work at Boston University, and his graduate work at the University of California-San Diego. He spent a couple of years in Germany doing research and speaks German fluently. He did a 1,000 mile bike trip alone through Western and parts of Eastern Europe. His wife is 25% Japanese but is fluent in Spanish. Their 2 year-old son, Kai is growing up trilingual. They met in New York City. I consider myself as being a social crusader of sorts when it comes to racism. I, however, do not have the racial un-awareness that my son and wife have. Their wedding and party in Richmond was again, one of many cultures, races, religions, etc. One of my son’s best friends is Korean. Their lives are intertwined with all cultures and races.
The prejudices I experienced growing up were more of a religious nature. My parents’ church felt they were the chosen denomination and everyone else was going to hell. I ended this affiliation at 13 and swore that none of my future family would experience this self-righteousness
So, why am I mulling over the above? It is because when I see these behaviors I feel that the human race, at least in part, has grown past those prejudices, but then again, maybe this microcosm of human life has always leaned in this direction. In the article one commenter chastised the writer for bring up the racial prejudice subject around this religious holiday. This statement itself, is prejudiced assuming that Christmas is a religious holiday to everyone.
In the election of 20008 I thought it incredible that the Democratic party had two viable minority candidates that I could vote for, not because they were minorities but that I had a good comfort level with both,and believed in the same values I did and that each had managed to get to this point in their lives. I am talking, of course about Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama. I for the first time, contributed to a political candidate and worked to help get him elected. I remember the emotionally charged party afterwards as people walked around stunned that we had pulled this thing off. I remember people like Jessee Jackson walking around with tears streaming down his face and those running down my face. I also remember my aged mother asking her eldest daughter in a worried tone “What are we going to do?”when she found out Barack was elected..
I still believe it was one of the greatest things this country ever did but It embarrasses me that Obama, in the most respected position in this country and maybe the world has to deal with racial epithets, slurs, and an extraordinary amount of death threats. Whether you like his politics or not, I believe one would have to say he has definitely been big enough for the job and has, in many ways, raised our position in the world.
In closing, Marta was criticized in the article for sharing a raw emotional experience in her life at such an importune time that undoubtedly changed and is still changing her life. Obviously written by someone who can conveniently shelve their emotions or frustrations and inequalities of our world. I ask what better time? If you are celebrating the holidays with their Christian significance, I believe that it symbolizes a time of new birth, a gift for the world, an implication of brotherly love.If you celebrate it as a time off work, a time for family and a renewal cycle of another year, I have to ask the same question. When I rejected my parents religion I was 13 and it catapulted me into a world where everything is shades of grey. I have been there since. I sometimes covet a person who sees in black and white although they are boring to talk to. Experiences like Marta’s, although still painful, remind us that our personal wounds may not heal completely but may be used as a tool to guide us into becoming better people. So if we are not able to live with black and white we will always be susceptible to new wounds. and uncertainties. You can either treat them as an albatross around your neck or you can dissect the negative feathers and positive feathers and add the positive to your wings of internal freedom.
