Happy Friday, y’all
Don’t fret much since we made it through another week! So, let’s TGIF, if you will!
Yeah, trust me I know that this is a tough topic that few people want to have an honest, mature, maybe even intellectual conversation about. The effects of racism can be observed in both the victim and the instigator. The instigator, who is more often white complexion, uses racism to secure her/his comfort zone in a given situation. The instigator creates a situation (ex: walking in front of someone waiting in a line) and does so to demoralize, bully, or intimidate the victim. As I’ve stated before, for me racism is a mental illness found mostly in people with low self-esteem. An unconscionable difference like skin color can become the determinant of how the instigator wants to interact with the victim. Personal qualities not readily available to assess the situation are cast aside as the racist seeks to portray her/his dominance … until checked. Can you imagine how many times I’ve had to “check” a person?!? It gets tiring sometimes … but I got this!!
Why do people “hate” on others? It’s an easy position to take but a tough one to defend!! Why not use shoe size or buttock shape to indicate and determine a “superior human” being?! Ridiculous, right!? So is skin color … I’ve seen the duality (dichotomy) of greed vs. responsibility in a paradigm to illustrate how an individual may shape her/his own position. On one hand, the basic human fear of losing something … anything … elicits greed. On the other hand, a balanced healthy self-esteemed person might choose to be responsible … and do the right thing! In an environment filled with stereotypes, misinformation, and fear, toxicity flows easily. Some people have little self-control and insight to admit the truth … even to THEMSELVES. One of the main reasons for meditation is to separate myself from toxic fears and influences and seek a higher plane or level of existence. In that realm of options, one can be sure to choose a positive vibration!! One can return self-confident.
Whether we look at the horseback drama (now suspended) that took place recently on the Mexican-US border or, at European futbol matches, we find the re-rise of racism. While many of us get to watch and judge these images on tv, imagine what it’d be like to experience what some of the Haitian immigrants did!?! I doubt many of us would be able to walk across parts of South America to the Mexican border with family and belongings in hand and bags. How would one like to change places with them? Chelsea’s futbol star, Romelu Lukaku, has experienced the ignorant hatefulness of racist chants during futbol games. He like many other stars on social media feel that the Big Tech companies need to stop the online abuse. He says, “Some people harm themselves because of social media abuse.” Who is responsible for these types of things?!?
What is it that the haters are missing? In other words, what makes it so easy for them to attack another human being who has not done anything to them personally?!? Maybe they are missing something to belong to … like the universe … not the Ku Klux Klan!! One shouldn’t allow themselves to get suckered into the victim rabbit hole and then spun like a dreidel until the evil spirit gets its prize, including lunatic loyalty.
Remember, racism as a mental illness feeds on fear … any fear … pick one! Have that conversation with someone. Make that conversation intellectual without slinging blame, names, and other things! No need to “touch” another person either. It is here where enlightenment may take place. Until we learn to accept each other as equals as the “Great American Experiment” suggests, we can expect to see the re-rise of racism.
Peace,
John I. Cook, Director
Educational Excellence 