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B L A < ^ T O B y » P N T H 1999
FEBRUARY 17, 1999 • Ibe ÿortlanh (hberrlier
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S 11
IA
A DIALOGUE ON RACE SERIES
A Dialogue On Race
B y K eilisi G yan F reeman
“ Race: Humanity as a whole. A
group o f people united or classi­
fied together on the basis o f a
common history, nationality or
geographic distribution.”
“Creed: A statement or system
o f belief, principles, or opinions.”
(As defined by W ebster’s 11 Uni­
versity Dictionary)
So why the lesson in grammar?
Clarity. So much has been offered
on being o f a certain ‘race’ and
that is true. There is one all en­
compassing factor: We are all o f
the HUMAN RACE. We all have
similar needs, food, clothing, shel­
ter and a sense o f belonging. This
need outweighs, in my heart, m a­
jority o f the others as basic needs
for who we are.
There are others who might
counter and say that having a
sense o f history is vital, and I fully
agree with that. W ho’s history do
you give? What part is left out or
omitted? Which gets more atten­
tion than the other? What do I
mean by these questions?
The majority o f the human race
is mixed, mingled with, akin to, or
has some connection to another
culture. The days o f the pure race
are quickly becoming smaller and
smaller as the world gets faster
and smaller as well.
I’d like to offer my history as
an example. My father is from
Port-a-Prince. His heritage stems
from the roots o f Jamaican cul­
ture. His family was descended
from Georgia in the U.S.A. My
mother has American Indian in
her blood. Her m other’s family
was Dutch and E nglish, also
clearly in her bloodline. My par­
ents met in New York and married
there. They moved to San Fran­
cisco and have been in the area
ever since. I was bom in Califor­
nia and was raised in the same
area yet I have traveled a good
deal.
With this information, if I was
to become a “ separatist” , who
would I exclude? There is White
in my blood. There are probably
other cultures that are mixed that
help create who I am as well. The
point being is this: Each one o f us
hold to different creeds and cul­
tural styles. That is a given. Each
o f us belong to the same race, the
human race. That is very clear as
well. If I choose to deny someone
their own ‘cultural difference’ I
need to make that clear distinction
above and beyond denying them
their rights based on ‘the race or
the color o f their skin.’
It would be sim ilar to saying
that because my left ear is pierced
and my right one isn’t, my right
one is now better than the other or
to be looked at more than the
other. It sounds silly, doesn’t it?
Yet there are those who would
have you believe that because my
skin tone is darker than theirs, that
I am less than they are. Or the
opposite o f that, meaning because
there are those w ho’s skin tone is
lighter than mine, they now be­
come “devils or are full o f evil.” I
wish I could say that I was m ak­
ing those last words up, yet I have
heard them for m yself from an­
other in the human race.
If we continue to diminish our­
selves, and in turn each other
because o f what the other looks
like, how far have we really come
from slavery? Isn’t holding that
belief a form o f slavery? Being
chained to a way o f thinking that
has no valid foundation, or hold­
ing and possibly teaching ideas
that are limiting.
There is an East Indian prov­
erb that offers this: “ Everyone
else knows som ething that I do
not.” In additon to that it’s up to
me to find out, what it is and
a llo w
th a t
k n o w le d g e to
benefit me or to
not be apart o f
me if I feel it’s
not what I need
to k n o w or
hear. There are
som e
b a s ic
th o u g h ts
though, that I
d o n ’t h av e to
experience for
m yself. T here
are others that
it would give me
a chance to be a
better person if
I did lo o k at
them and expe­
rience them for
myself.
I’d like to of­
fer an idea to
ea ch o f y o u
reading this article. Approach
someone from another culture,
reach out beyond your belief sys­
tem, explore with them the sim i­
larities o f your own culture with
theirs. You will be amazed to find
out how m any sim ilarities we all
have. Start sim ple with food likes
and dislikes. Step into home life
without getting too personal if
you make a new acquaintance.
Explore religious beliefs as you
deepen your relating with them.
D on’t com e in with any pre­
conceived ideas or answers. Ask
questions that you may have won­
dered but did not have the cour­
age to ask or even the time to ask.
Be open to share with them how
you m ay have felt in the past, or
how you were taught to feel. As
you create this dialogue with
them, replace the ideas that from
their own inform ation are differ­
ent from w hat you m ay have
known or thought.
James Redfield in the Celestine
Inside O f You...
I am the spirit that sets people
free
I am the feeling that gives unity
I am the secter that brings
people to commune
But some lose sight of me all
too soon
I am the source o f society’s
strength
1 bring cultures together form
all great lengths
I am the wish that makes things
better
I am the magic that brings
cultures together
Prophecy offers that.’’this is be­
com ing the Info rm atio n Age
rather than the Industrial Age.” If
that is to be fully acknowledged
and honored then we need to go
about gathering all the inform a­
tion that we can so we are truly
informed about all things. Since
information has become easier to
obtain and resources are clearly
open accessible, there is no place
for holding ideas that are dated.
And in my heart, any ideas o f
separation are limiting and dated
and need to be looked at again and
held in the light o f honesty and
wisdom.
There would be a great disser­
vice done if my communication
style would hinder someone who
was seeking information to become
similar rather than separate. 1 would
hurt myself if I isolated myself from
those who looked different than I
did, for they could be the ones to
illuminate me to a new possibility of
myself.
Sadly, but true, I am not al­
ways seen
If you’ve suffered from ha­
tred, then you know what I mean
I live inside all who care about
life
Who do care to deal with the
world’s greatest strifes
It would be easier to find me,
if everyone opened their hearts
and eyes
And really take a look at those
they despise
Your enemy o f color
May be your brother
And if you look deep inside
their eyes down in to their heart
You may find that you’re not
far apart
Inside of you is where I can be
found
Yet at all the same time I am
always around
ITS nof hard to find me if you
care to see I
Look for my support when
‘ngs look bleak
I am the strong, serene white
dove
I am the
By Annalisa Perez, 17
Marshall High School
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