"The Month": Race, Difference & Diversity

Have you heard of The Week?

It summarizes op-eds on "hot" current event topics for the past week.  Like Cliff's Notes.  Cliffs' Notes.  Whatever.

Let's do a The Month post for my blog.

Wait!!

It's going to be good!!

Don't!!

leave!!

Early in the month, I posted "How to Talk so People (or Racists) will Listen".

JM Randolph of accidental stepmom pinpointed how this situation can be awkward:



It's difficult to speak up when confronted with intolerant beliefs.  For me, it's exasperating if it's my own family or people I'm close to. Sometimes, I don't even bother because I know the person enough to know my words won't make a difference.  I wonder, though, is speaking up about these issues about changing someone's mind or is it about making a statement about who we are and what we're willing to tolerate?

In "The Help... in Mississippi or in Pakistan", we discussed K. Stockett's best selling controversial novel, The Help. 

Kailyn elaborated on the objections eloquently and passionately:

What pissed me off about the book was the widespread popularity of it. For me it was the feeling of, “What? The experiences of my family are only valid if they are told by a white woman?” The more and more I thought about it, it just all felt like more of the Great White Savior being played out.

When I read literature about India, Pakistan or even Muslims written by individuals outside of those cultures, I can feel like that.  Sometimes, those perspectives seem to emanate from academic ivory tower conjectures. That's not to say that only African Americans can write about African Americans, etc, but people write best when they offer their truth as they have lived it.

Still, while I agree with some of Kailyn's assessment, but Windyfairy offers the zero sum of my opinion:

Part of racism was that ethnic people were stripped of their voices. [...]Maybe what we should take from this story is that there were people willing to work together for the same goal, despite their differences. Maybe what should be important isn’t who told the story, but that it was told.

It's entirely possible that my not being African American is a factor in my tendency to agree with that.

It was also my birthday on the 9th. In addition to a MACBOOK AAAAIRRRR(!!!), I got an extraordinary "present" on my Facebook wall from Dave2 at Blogography.

I celebrated Dr. M.L.King, Jr.'s birthday here in Memphis this year, too. It was significant and beautiful experience for me.  One comment in particular on that post from RW, however, brought home a stark reminder of the realities of our times.

There’s no question but that for a lot of white Americans this is viewed as a “black” holiday that they have to just put up with not getting their mail on.

Including my family, there were six individuals who were not African American at the event I attended. I can unequivocally say that for me "black" or "African American" are rarely the first words that come to mind when I think of Dr. King.  Do people really still see him as an African American hero and not just a plain old American hero?

Megan finished out the month by graciously offering a guest post in the style of her blog  One Thousand Words (Or More).  I was honored to celebrate her talent and beauty with you.

Finally, I want to extend thanks to Nyt, and like bloggers.  As someone who can often fall on the other side of political and social issues than me (and most of the readers here), Nyt often takes the time to express opinions here. Disagreeing is more than just "okay", it is needed. We can never be less for acknowledging "the other side" and taking the time to consider opinions oppositional to our own.  Being open minded means, well... being open.

Most posts this month were inspired by race, difference and diversity.  As always, I'm impressed with the respectful nature of the dialogue here and want to thank everyone for respectfully participating in conversations that could have gone horribly awry.

Also I've started a Native Born Facebook page, where I'll be posting articles, videos and fascinating things relating to my blog.  And Star Trek.  Vampires, too.

Photo Credit

Comments

[Megan]

I love that you took on this topic and did in such a thoughtful and interesting way. These things need to be addressed so that, eventually, they won't be such a big deal.

[Miss Britt]

When I was in Alabama, I was surprised to hear that there was a Confederate Memorial Day, which is separate than plain old' Memorial Day. When I stated my surprise, I was told "hey, they have a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day."

So, yes. There are still people who see MLK as a "black" thing and, equally as disturbing, the Confederacy as the opposite of that.

[Nyt]

Thank you... It's been nice to land somewhere that sees
"opposing" as cause for discussion rather than argument. I look forward to more.

[Sybil Law]

Dave2 wins again! Awesome.

I definitely speak up to people so that they know MY views, not because I think I'll change their mind. I mean, if I make them think at all, well, great. However, I need them to know I'm not listening to their ignorant shit, and I don't appreciate it.

[RW]

btw I love The Week. There are white people who see Dr. King as an American hero - me for instance.

But I'll take it a step further.Whenever the subject of movies comes around I always mention Spike Lee who, to my way of thinking is a genius but also a great American director. The static I often get is astounding. But I'm saying, anybody who ever saw his Malcolm X without the jaundiced eye of prejudice and wrong should easily see what I'm talking about. I think, anyway.