There is a lot of anger our there right now. You’d have to be in a cave on an isolated island not to feel it. The isolation of our homes combined with the rightful rage we see due to the overt racism in western society, has created societal upheaval unlike any I can remember in my life. The mistreatment of others is not something we should be taking lightly and society has shrugged it off too regularly in the past. Visible minorities have a very difficult time in North America. Here in Canada we see it as an American problem but you don’t have to look far to see that isn’t particularly true.
In fairness, this is both the easiest and toughest blog I have ever written – easy because it is so evidently horrendous, toughest because is strikes to some of the core blindness that exists in this “civil” society. So, as we are faced with the guilt and error in societies ways, what can we do to start on the road to mend this horrible wound? Have the initial steps been taken as we begin to embrace the Truth and Reconciliation document or are we simply giving this move to a more just society thirty seconds in the lime light? I certainly hope not.
Not sure about you, but I have struggled a bit on what my part is in this whole revolution. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately and here are some of the things that resonated with me about action we can take to help change occur.
- Listen and Learn – I have grown up with white privilege. Because of that I have no real sense of how difficult it must be to be a person of color and so it doesn’t affect my everyday. It should. As a citizen of this country and as a Catholic, justice and equity are high on my values list. It’s time for me to listen. To hear the struggles of my brothers and sisters and appreciate that my life is far easier than theirs.
- Understand that there is a problem – As a Canadian, it’s simple for me to see this as a problem south of the border only. It isn’t. Simply ask a person of color here and they’ll tell you. They live with it. Perhaps it is a more polite form of racism but it still exists. The thing is, it isn’t a colored issue . . . it’s a white issue. Feelings of white supremacy are a white issue and need to be dealt with as such. Let Hate die – let justice rise!
- Don’t be afraid to speak up – How often have you heard conversations that marginalize people. A racist overtone or a sexist joke are common place in society and, even though I find myself offended at times, I remain quiet. If we utilize these times as teachable moments in our days, we can make a difference, especially as teachers. Don’t simply discourage and denounce racist comments in your class, address them head on. Use these as points of discussion so that everyone sees them as misguided thinking – teachers have a very special role in that.
- Keep your values and ideals in mind – Remember not to get caught up in semantics of a situation. Cut through the noise by looking through the lens of your values. See this issue through the lens of equality, justice and love and it’s hard not to see it correctly. Humanity is humanity and needs to rise above the pettiness of race.
- Be Unrelentingly supportive of those who are marginalized – It is easy to turn a blind eye and see the issue as not yours. It’s easy to have no part in it – to be the bystander and simply not get involved.. That’s not okay, that’s being complicit in the act.
These are simply the five things that resonated with me and they are far from the perfect steps to help wipe out racial inequality but they are a start. A start that will hopefully lead me down the path of taking further steps to help this world become more of what it can be – a just society for ALL.
Keep learning,
Dave
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