Skip to main content

The Questions of My Exhaustion

It is exhausting to engage with uninformed and/or misinformed people on matters relating to the social construct of race as if the privilege they deny having provides them clear insight on bias. They have been conditioned to not see the ulterior motives and intended outcomes of systems functioning as desired by the powers that be -- systems designed to ensure that those on the margins remain on the lowest rungs of the ladder. 

Who are they and why do I seem to know so many of them? Did they descend from those who supported the racial violence, also know as white supremacy, of slave traders, slave holders, Klansmen, Concerned Citizens, Nazis, and the common racists? Yes, some are, but unfortunately some descend from good and decent people who were bridge builders. 

Being a white person who is well-intentioned is not enough. Racial justice requires members of the dominant group to assume the responsibility of doing their own work. Having good friends who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) does not mean that the racism thriving in society will not shape children's perspective. Racism is like a highly contagious virus. Not speaking about it leaves an empty space. The silence of this space permits racism to take root quietly in a child's heart and mind. Parents and children must engage in conversations on race just as they do on matters of behavior, discipline, faith and hygiene. It is that important.



Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for reading Leslye's Labyrinth. I welcome your comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Broadening Perspectives

The recent extra-judicial killing of George Floyd and others is causing many Americans to question the various forms of racial bias in our society. While those from the First Nations and of African descent along with other people of color have lived experience of this violence and its embodied trauma. Seeing Floyd murdered from the comfort of their homes seems to have pushed many who identify as white to cross the threshold. For them, denying the existence of racial injustice in 2020 is no longer an option. As perspectives are broadened, questions arise.  It as though a bright light bulb has been switched on in a dank cellar providing a stark view in direct conflict with the ideals the nation espouses. What is seen is the oppressive legacy of 400 years of white supremacy and its perpetuation in real time.   The arts are one way in which "heroes" are created and celebrated to shape the stories we know.  The removal of statues and other artwork honoring men who contrib...
Post a Comment
Read more

When You Say, "I'm Not Racist"

When you say,  "I'm not racist," you deny the complexity of a system built on the racist ideas born of white supremacy. When you say,  "I don't see color," you do not understand that making judgements based on color is the problem, not seeing color.  When you say,  "I was taught to treat everyone the same," you deny the limitations of your being kind when the system denies my dignity. When you say,  "But, I'm a Christian," you deny the whitening of Jesus' body and the distortion of his Gospel for economic gain through the genocide of indigenous people, the enslavement of Africans, and other atrocities against people of color. When you say,  "My child is Black," you conflate your love for one person with a love for all. When you say,  "My family never enslaved people" you deny how the injustices of slavery were transformed to perpetuate your illusion of white supremacy. Wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Didn't Break The Cookie Jar

Young children practice interesting behaviors in a number of situations. One of the most common is expecting their words to bridge the chasm between reality and what they want reality to be. Often, even before being questioned, a young child will provide an answer to distance themselves from reality. "No, I didn't do it." "No, I wasn't playing with matches." "No, I didn't leave the door open." "No, I didn't break the cookie jar."  It is as though their words will function as a magic wand to resolve an undesirable situation. Hopefully, they soon learn from experience that personal desire does not empower words with magical powers, and the ability of parents and older siblings to reason prevents them from being as gullible as hoped.  Unfortunately, there are adults who never learned that denying a behavior does not make it true. They continue to believe that regardless of the context their declarative statements have the capacity to...
Post a Comment
Read more