"You see, I don’t talk about race with White people."
There are parts of this piece that I agree with, and some that I question. But what I really want to say after reading this is: Please, please, please keep talking to white people about race! No matter what race you are we need to keep talking about this and make things right.
I get his frustration because I was once that white guy who said, "What do you mean? I don't see racist behavior where I live." Looking back it must have been mind-bendingly frustrating for my friend to hear me say that. Of course at the time Maine was in the top 2 or 3 whitest states in the country and it's difficult to see blatant racism when there's only one race around (and it never occured to me to wonder why there was very little diversity here).
Several years ago we saw more diversity through immigration, and the apparent racism started before people even arrived. Since then I have been shocked and sickened over and over again at the despicable things I've heard people say and do in my little corner of the world. But I might not have truly seen it even then if I hadn't had those previous conversations with black friends who assured me racism was alive and well, even in my often idyllic-seeming state. Because of these conversations I was better able to be awake to it when it happened and to start talking to others about what is going on; without those conversations I might never have even noticed.
So please, everyone, let's keep talking even though it might often seem uncomfortable, hopeless, and maddening. I know I have so much more to learn, and this never gets better otherwise.
<3
I get his frustration because I was once that white guy who said, "What do you mean? I don't see racist behavior where I live." Looking back it must have been mind-bendingly frustrating for my friend to hear me say that. Of course at the time Maine was in the top 2 or 3 whitest states in the country and it's difficult to see blatant racism when there's only one race around (and it never occured to me to wonder why there was very little diversity here).
Several years ago we saw more diversity through immigration, and the apparent racism started before people even arrived. Since then I have been shocked and sickened over and over again at the despicable things I've heard people say and do in my little corner of the world. But I might not have truly seen it even then if I hadn't had those previous conversations with black friends who assured me racism was alive and well, even in my often idyllic-seeming state. Because of these conversations I was better able to be awake to it when it happened and to start talking to others about what is going on; without those conversations I might never have even noticed.
So please, everyone, let's keep talking even though it might often seem uncomfortable, hopeless, and maddening. I know I have so much more to learn, and this never gets better otherwise.
<3