Can We Talk About Race?

The answer to that question truly depends on the answer to a few other questions. Do you want to see your friendship end? Do you want to be classified as a racist? If you answered "no" to either of these questions, the truth is that most of us can't talk about race relations. That's a sad realization....and a major part of the problem.

I'm not here today to provide solutions to the race problem in America. I don't think it's possible to solve to be perfectly honest. If I could offer an effective answer, I would probably be one of the wealthiest men in the nation. What I do want to think about is why the topic of race is so difficult for us to discuss as rational beings. Just thinking about putting my thoughts out there makes me very nervous. I stand behind my beliefs and know that I have the right to express these opinions without repercussion, but I fully expect to hear from the naysayers as well. That's a chance I must take in order to begin a dialogue among intelligent people, however.

First, many of us refuse to admit that we are wrong about some things. None of us like to have our errors pointed out. Many of us honestly don't believe that our opinions on the topic of race are wrong at all. I think we have to realize as a society that every time a police officer shoots a minority, the action was not sparked by racism. Additionally, we have to understand that every young man of color who wears a "wife beater" with low riding pants is not a criminal and should not be treated as one. Let's face it.....because of our life experiences and personal opinions about other people groups, we come to the discussion about race with preconceived ideas.

Those preconceived ideas are difficult for us to look past. This poses another hurdle to leap over as we prepare to discuss race relations. I was raised in Arkansas and attended a predominately African-American public school for ten years. I encountered some African-Americans of incredible character and tremendously beautiful spirit during those years. I also met some thugs who took great joy in making my life a living hell. Like it or not, my experiences resulted in stereotypes that I subconsciously rely on in my future encounters with people of the same race. As sad as it is to admit, I sometimes sense my defenses rising to high alert when someone reminds me of the bullies of my past. I also deal with the ideas of my parents and their experiences. Does this mean that I am naturally prejudiced against a certain race of people? Not at all....or at least I don't think of it as racism. It just means that I have a starting point in all of my interactions with them and have to be cautious that I do not let past experiences negatively impact my current interaction with the individual.

We're always looking for someone to blame for the national crisis. The media is at fault. White supremacy continues to dominate American society. The problem is poor education in urban settings. The list of reasons expressed goes on and on.  The one reason that never gets expressed is probably the greatest problem -- ALL OF US. As soon as we begin to look at ourselves and our interactions with people who are not like us, we begin to face uncomfortable truths about ourselves that we are simply not prepared to handle. Instead of facing the truth and dealing with the root problem, we become much more comfortable pointing the finger elsewhere.

What is the problem? I'm coming to the opinion more and more that it is a basic issue of morality. Regardless of one's religious beliefs, I think all people can agree that one mantra should be espoused by all people:  "Do to others as you would have them do to you." If we could daily practice that one simple principle in all interactions with other people -- regardless of their color, political affiliation, gender, or sexual orientation -- prejudice would be diminished and conflicts would be avoided.

Since the solution is so simple, why is it so difficult to practice? There lies the real question.....

Race in America

It is impossible to look at today's date and not remember the horrific events that occurred twelve years ago. The images are still emblazoned in my mind. I recall the uncertainty the nation felt about our future. Our security was stolen from us on that day. Terror finally had a face.....and a new era of racial prejudice began.

The issue of racism has been all around us this year. Paula Deen's empire collapsed around her because of her use of a racial epithet years ago. A pretty female student from Texas who was a contestant on CBS' reality series Big Brother showed the nation that discrimination occurs daily against African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and homosexuals. What made this situation more appalling was Aaryn Gries' attempts to justify her demeaning comments as part of her Texas heritage and way of life. Since the attacks on the World Trade Center, countless Muslim-Americans have been profiled as potential terrorists by law enforcement and members of the general population.

There's an elephant in rooms across the nation that we fail to address. Racism is prevalent in America. If we are truthful with ourselves, it can be found in many guises in almost every city. Racism and racial prejudice is no longer directed only at African-Americans in the South. Other people groups -- including Asian-Americans, Latinos, and even Caucasians -- face the effects of bigotry in various ways. When we expand the prejudice beyond the borders of race, we also find that discrimination is happening against the aged as well as the young, the wealthy and the poor, gay and straight, and men and women. Despite all of this discrimination, no one is willing to talk about what is happening. If we voice our opinions, we are certain to offend someone and risk being accused of discriminating against them.

How did we get to this point? I think the problem is that, as a nation, we have departed from our core values. We proudly tell the world that our nation began with our Declaration of Independence against foreign oppressors, yet we no longer "hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." (Declaration of Independence) Equality for all is not an option; it is a necessity. Just because I do not agree with a person's culture, religion, sexual orientation, or personal philosophy does not mean that I have the right to impose my opinions as rule of law upon them.

How do we correct the situation? First, we have to have an open dialogue as a society. We have to learn to accept each other's differences, forgive the hurts of the past, and begin to understand our similarities. While it may not appear at first glance that I have a lot in common with the African-American members of my community, a little honest interaction will reveal that we all have common emotions and desire security for ourselves and our family. When you get right down to it, the major differences between us can be explained by the colors of our skin and our cultural backgrounds. Despite our differences, we were all created by the same Creator. To some degree, this makes us all children of God. Take a little liberty with the context of Paul's letter to the Galatians and consider the implications within that definition:  "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, NIV)

I have been guilty of cultural bias in my life. So have you. Rather than focusing on my past mistakes, I choose to focus on correcting them and learning how to live at peace with my fellow man. I won't always get it right, but I find that people are much more understanding of my errors when I am honestly attempting to understand them without judgment.