As I was watching the tragedy of George Floyd unfold, I cringed with the many memories of past struggles for equal rights in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Did I do enough to engage in the struggle? The answer is, no. We all should have done and should do more.
I grew up in an all-white rural, agricultural community in South-central Pennsylvania. We rarely encountered people different from ourselves and were basically insulated from the happenings of the outside world. My recollection of my first actual interaction with a student of color was at lunchtime when I was a teenager in high school. The school did not have a cafeteria so we had to carry lunch or go home to eat. The Black student had to walk more than a mile to school, so he carried. Our school was mostly white with just a few Black students.
When I see the anger and frustration of African-Americans and others, I wonder---Did I grow up with racism and not realize it? The answer is, Yes. My grandfather's postcards from Florida, the black-face minstrel shows in the community building, the use of derogatory names for black people in everyday slang. These were not directed at Black folks, but demeaned and ridiculed their very existence anyway.
I left my home and community in Big Valley in 1958 and have only returned for visits over the last 60+ years. I attended Pennsylvania State University for 4 years and during my stay, I encountered my first exposure to bigotry and racism from fellow students. Unlike colleges in the South, there was no obvious segregation or any official actions to deny students their rightful education at Penn state. However in the dorms, bull sessions often broke out among students and race, being in the news, was often discussed. I was shocked to hear the casual use of the N word and other racial slurs used by my fellow white students as they discussed the rights of minorities in our society. In 1961 I was privileged to be accepted into Koinonia, a Christian boarding house for Penn State students in State College. My housemates included a Mexican, an Indian, at least 2 African-Americans and others. It is here where my growth and understanding developed. I lived there until I graduated in 1962.
In the Fall of 1962 I attended Seminary in Pittsburgh. My desire to be a Christian Pastor waned over time and I decided to take a course in race relations instead of the language Hebrew. The professor, an African-American, gave us a look into the "Black experience" that none of us had ever imagined. He assigned us the book "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin. Griffin was a white man who disguised himself as a Black man and chronicled the experience, giving a graphic look into the everyday lives of Black people in the rural South.
During one classroom discussion it was revealed that more than 70% of the African-Americans living in the United States had white ancestors. Apparently, it was common for slave owners to rape their black women slaves, with the resulting children being added to the slave population. Thus, most Black people carry the "white" blood of their oppressors. This is a crime we can not erase from our history as a nation, but we must acknowledge it and move on to a more inclusive society.
In 1963 I started my teaching career in high school in a small town in central New Jersey. I decided to attend the local Presbyterian Church one Sunday morning and was saddened by my experience. I was alone, the congregation was all white and not one person spoke to me or said they were glad to have me attend. I asked my landlady why there were not any Black people in the church. Her response---"They have their own church". I did not return.
The last Sunday I was in town, I revved up the courage and went to the African-American church at the edge of the town. I stood out in this all black congregation and after the service began, the pastor acknowledged my presence. He welcomed me and asked if I wanted to say something? I stood up and mumbled something about being glad to share in their worship service. At the end as I was speaking to the pastor, it seemed to me that every member of the congregation came up to me, shook my hand and thanked me for coming to their church.
During my 30+ years of teaching I usually had some Black students, but one stands out in my memory. He was the son of Black migrant workers in New Jersey. He was a bright and very funny kid who had a talent for telling jokes and making "wise cracks". The problem was he would do it when I was trying to teach a lesson or explain something. After weeks of trying to get his cooperation and failing, I finally called the father---he said "Why didn't you call me earlier? I was embarrassed. The boy was a perfect student for the rest of the year. From that point on when I had a problem student, I contacted the parents. It was my most effective move to change student behavior and I learned that lesson from a Black father who recognized the value of education for his son.
These experiences have molded my views of race, religion and politics ever since. I have lived a white-privileged life. I will never be able to experience the anxiety, the fear, the sadness, and the general frustration minorities experience as they try to survive and prosper in a dominant "white" society. That they tolerate the inequities of the American system and work toward a more equitable future is a testament to the resoluteness of the human spirit in the face of extreme adversity.
The Creator has made us all different---no two of us are exactly the same (even "identical twins" are different in appearance.) "White" people are not really white, we are lightly colored---only albinos are truly white. So human skin color is really just a spectrum from lighter to darker. (originally lighter at higher latitudes, darker near the equator). Skin color has been an obvious human difference and excuse for discrimination the world over for a very long time.
The human species is by its nature judgmental. We judge other humans by their skin color, their hair, their size, their shape and the attractiveness of their bodies, their voice, their face, their eyes, their nose, etc. and out of these observations spring likes and dislikes. Also out of these we get prejudice, racism and bigotry; and when you add the element of fear, you get the systemic anti-social behavior that leads to violence and death. The challenge for the human species on planet Earth in the year 2020 and beyond is to accept and appreciate our many differences; and move to a more accepting place where we compete, but not fight, with each other. It is my belief that the human species is being tested like never before and its future on planet Earth will be determined by how well we work together to make the world a better place for all.
