I’m taken back by some of my African American
friends who are always arguing about how light skinned they are when in reality
they are all ‘Black’ really dark ‘Black’. Yet, why is it the case that Rachel
Dolezal gets in trouble for wanting to be ‘Black’ and be part of the local
NCAAP group in her home town? She clearly fits better in this African American
culture then her parent’s. My wife grew up in Pakistan in the 50’s and because
her Iha, who was like a live in Nani, was dark skinned she was banned from her
family and considered less than human. Why is there this continued racial
confusion happening in our society? Does it really matter as to what the color
my skin happens to be and whether I’m a light skinned ‘Black’ or a dark skinned
‘White’?
I grew up in what I call the ‘Heinz 57’ culture
where I have a little bit of everything inside of me. Is it inappropriate for
me to have an interest in the Hispanic or African American culture that
surrounds me in my diverse neighborhood? What happens when I purposefully make
friends that are of a totally different racial and cultural background than I
grew up around? Is it a grave sin if I connect better with my diverse
neighborhood than my ‘Anglo’ friends that look like me but don’t necessarily
understand my passion to help the at risk youth in my community?
I have a couple of college interns that are
both African American and Bi-Racial that help me better understand life in
today’s diverse society. I laughed when a few of my interns see me as being the
Black/Brown/White Pastor that works in the hood or barrio! Yet, my wife has a
friend from her residency program as a chaplain that was offended by our
working outside of our racial group. My challenge to this individual was where
was he/she or their group when my kids or teens especially needed male role
models?
I’m humbled and amazed at the response of the
families that had loved ones murdered in the Historic AME Church in Charleston.
What I heard coming from these emotionally distraught family and friends had
nothing to do with the color of their skin but with their character and heart!
I have no idea what it would be like to loose one of my adult kids or youth
from our nonprofit and be able to forgive the individual who committed this
heinous crime. I wept along with thousands as the news of this tragedy, brutal murders
reverberated across the world. The
phrase that stood out was for God to have mercy on this individual who
committed this hideous crime.
Maybe it is time that my ‘White’ friends get to
understand what it would be like to be ‘Black’. (Especially after the NBA ‘Black’
superstars dominated playoffs with players like James or Curry!) I would also
encourage my ‘Black’ friends to understand what it would be like to be
‘White’. As long as I’m so quick to
judge someone by the shade of his or her skin pigment then I’m truly a lesser
person. I’m ashamed as I posted early
that it has taken so long for many churches, mine included, to recognize their
sin of indifference that truly is racism and now are finally starting to
address it!
The opportunity is for everyone to step back
and see the good in all cultural and racial groups and stop making the grave
error that because I’m ‘White’ or ‘Black’ I’m better than someone else. I have learned more in the last decade about
real life from a group of ‘Black’ and ‘Brown’ kids and teens then from my
college and graduate degrees.
So maybe the new ‘White’ should be ‘Black’ and
the new ‘Black’ should be ‘White’!
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