I teach an online class at a university. Every week we have an online discussion. For what's it worth, I'm using it as a blog entry this week. Here it is.
Last week’s discussion may have been a bit hot concerning the diversity topic. I really appreciate everyone’s honesty, opinions, and this is still the USA where we have freedom of speech. Hopefully you all voted last week to keep this right if you are and American citizen. I was asked to comment on someone’s post in which one student indicated that by what he has experienced so far in his/her life that he has not seen/met a good person from a particular race. Here are my thoughts.
Realize that anything can be considered “offensive” and some of us are more sensitive to such things as others. When I grew up we too had bullies, and were called names. You either accept what others think of you or you build your self esteem and know inside whom you are and what you stand for, and it doesn’t matter what others think of you.
Yes, you can be a racist (or not) and live in this country, this area, and even attend this school, voice your thoughts and not be locked up. You can express your racism against Whites, Blacks, Muslims, etc.; whether right or wrong, it happens every day. Can you do this in other countries; no, you could be killed.
Is it right? Probably not; we should all get along with everyone. Remember the song: “Jesus Loves the Little Children…?” Prejudice means that we “pre-judge” without knowing all the facts, and group everyone together: all Whites, all Blacks, all Muslims, etc.
Think of your last name, mine is “Scott”. I know that I’m not proud of all of my relatives. So it would be offensive I guess if I was included in the bad bunch of Scotts, if “Scott” were a race. I as a “Scott” need to work harder and live better than the other relatives and show the world that not all Scotts are “bad”. We all have this responsibility. The good in any race, culture, or group need to “outshine” the bad ones.
And, no one should think that all Blacks are bad, all whites are bad, all Muslims are bad (and all Scotts are bad). However, when one student in a discussion states that he/she has not met a “good” Black person, two things minimum needs to happen: This person needs to seek out the good in everyone (that is the meaning of diversity) and this includes Black people (or African Americans as they are currently identified) and secondly, “good” people from their race need to step forward and present themselves as “good” and over shadow the “bad” in their culture. It does go both ways.
We also need to know that as Anthony Robbins (see his books on the right side of this page) the motivator’s motivator points out: “Your past doesn’t have to equal your future”. We can all change for the better. If our experience has shown us a group in which they have not been “good” we need to know that they too can change and become better. But, because we can not control or change other people or groups of people, the responsibility to change and get along, has to start with us.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to even mention someone’s race today in conversation because sometimes we are conditioned to think we should be offended. And, many people from all cultures walk around with a chip on their shoulder. I once spoke to a class of mostly all Caucasians and mentioned that when I was small I was taught how to remember that a red oak leaf has points because the Indians used arrows and the white oak leaf has blunt ends because the white man used bullets. A student told me that that was a racist remark. It was not; it was based on a fact, and I’m also part Native American and I am not offended. I know many Native Americans I’m very proud of and some less proud.
We have to stop walking on egg shells around each other. America is a melting pot of cultures and people who are born here or become legal citizens are American not African American, Spanish American, Italian American, German American, Polish American, etc. just American. Until we look at everyone in our country as “family” and “American” without reference to where we came from (without forgetting, appreciating or leaving everything about our heritage roots), diversity will only be an exercise in futility.
When "Americans" visit other countries we are considered either "good" or "bad" by the citizens of that country. Make it your responsiblity to break any misconcieved notions by being "good".
I hope this helps. We’ll have more discussions to come. Be sure to appreciate others, their thoughts and honesty regardless of “what side of the fence” they are on.
It’s the only way we can learn and become better.
It’s the only way we can learn and become better.
