Often White people will think that Black people are being
defeatist when Blacks try to tell the truth about what living in this country is like. I don't know how to go about helping people to jump over this psychological bridge to foster some real understanding of the situation. If we were to be
defeatist, we wouldn't talk about these issues. We would live our lives trying our best to shelter ourselves (we will never be able to shelter our children) from the truth. More importantly we would not be preparing ourselves to help our children deal with these realities.
I've decided one way to help is to post news items about real life in America for those that are not White. Often we will not agree with the 'official' reaction. In the story below the school boards actions are completely inappropriate. Hopefully, there will be the occasional story where the official reaction is just. In any case it gives each of us an oppurtunity to reflect on how we as parents might have responded if it was our child in the same situation. The reality is, one day it will be our child.
Dose of Realty today is the story of the Black Student Union members at a school in Los Angeles. It's important to note that it is often our children that are trying hard and
becoming involved that get singled out for abuse. The school's racial makeup is 45 % Hispanic, 30% White and 4.5 % Black. That's important too.
To read about
their experience of being Black in America please go to:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25419359/
Next Stop Grand Central
You and Jake again several years ago. See how thoughtful you are as you hold Jakes hand? What are you telling him? What is your just barely three year old self thinking as you walk in your Spiderman costume and little red jacket? Of course, at that time it wasn't a costume, for you wore that Spiderman suit almost every other day. Wore it so often we had a portrait of you painted in the red and blue costume so that we would never forget that magical time when you were a super hero almost every day.
