I understand that racism is not a trait you are born with but it is learned, which makes it that much more evil. I can’t begin to tell you all the times I saw this growing up. As a white man you are constantly bombarded with racist comments, like an advertisement on TV about others and their appearance. The hatred is handed to you on a silver platter while the server smiles at you. As a kid you associate this nonchalant lesson with a positive one and you start (unknowingly) actualizing it. My parents taught me one great thing though, question EVERYTHING; so I did, I left no rock unturned. I questioned Christianity, God, my parents, and all authority. Racism was something that I truly believed I didn’t have a problem with. I didn’t feel like I was racist because I had friends of different colors. I didn’t realize until college that racism was a self-evident proposition and the true evil of it was that it didn’t need proof in order to exist. I didn’t have to believe in it to be influenced by it. This angered me because I let it in. My eyes opened up for the first time and I realized that racism will always be a constant internal struggle for me as much as it is an external struggle in our communities.This leads me back to my son. I haven’t taught my son about racism yet because I still see that innocence in his eyes, but after seeing your post I realize that I better start handing him love on a silver platter while smiling at him. I have to casually, and nonchalantly communicate equality. I HAVE to make it a daily thing in order to make it a self-evident proposition before he can question it and know that it is actually a self-evident truth that all men are equal. I decided to message you this because I didn’t know how others would view this. You taught me something today Evan. I owe my kids this and I have to work hard at it in order to make it reality.
m.
