Why I Talk About Race
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Jun 29, 2011
Last week I had lunch with a friend of mine. We were talking about each other's businesses and our profile, so to speak, on Twitter. He said that in general he liked things I said, but wished I didn't concentrate on race as much.
I said a lot of things to him in explaining why I talk about race. I'm not going to get into everything I said to him, but I will explain in general why I talk about it.
I'm a child of the 70's, pretty much the early part. During that time, we were "black and proud." It was a mantra that I remember uttering as young as 10 years old, though it took another 2 years before I actually knew what that meant.
I've always been the observer. One of my friends has a name he calls me that I'm not going to use, but it's a term of affection that I'm proud he uses. He says I look at what's going on and I see truths that people don't want to own up to. He says that if something is racial, no matter what someone else may believe, he knows I'll see it and I'll call it out when all others stay silent. He says I stay true to the cause.
What is the cause? The cause isn't a promotion of the rights of minorities over anyone else. The cause is balance, equality, and fairness. And, by the way, it's not always race. I was proud of what New York did last week in passing the gay marriage act; it's something that the nation needs to do in my opinion.
The fact is that things aren't equal or fair. Some people point to just how many blacks there are in positions of power these days. I point to just how few people there are in regular jobs or leadership positions in regular companies, including health care.
Statistics say that blacks are prominent online. Yet last week I had to write a post on my other blog pointing out 21 prominent black voices in social media because other people and companies that have been putting these types of lists together for the past 3 years almost never mention anyone black, and I'm sorry but in the 21st century even if you mention one you don't get a pass; I'm tired of tokenism as a general rule.
Last week in Syracuse there was a racial issue involving an Asian young man being verbally berated by two drunk white kids at Syracuse University. Another white kid hours later wondered, out loud, why it was a big deal. It had to be me to step up to the task of telling him, in no certain terms, why it was a big deal. He took it well, and thanked me for my point of view.
That's why I talk about race. Because every day there's someone who doesn't get it, someone who, strange to me though I should be expecting it, doesn't get the whole "race" thing, someone who's never had to worry about it because it doesn't impact their daily life. And I say something because I've reached the age where I now have some people listening. Sometimes it takes that one voice to help change things around.
And hopefully, though I respect the man, I'll never get to the point of saying things like Dr. Cornel West has been saying lately. He's right and wrong at the same time; but that's a conversation about race for another time.
Hello Mitch,
We need voices like yours to make a no bones about it point about race or inequity and fairness. A level playing field for all seems to me to be a basic human justice.
Of course to get their we would all have to grow up and become real adults and take responsibility for how we treat each other.
Be the change you want to see in the world. You are living that by speaking out.
Thank you.
Nick
Thanks Nick. I’m not all that radical, if you will, but it’s rare that I let a comment go by, racial or intolerant, without saying something. People don’t like it but tough; I guess that’s what being at least 50 gets you.
I don’t know why, but until I was reading your post this unlocked a distant memory about history exam. I wasn’t prepared for this topic to be honest, it was about Roman empire, but the exact topic was something like “Merging culture and races within Roman empire”. Generally the topic is too long, but the conclusion is that it have took few hundred years for that, but the end results is that Roman empire have actually adopt lifestyle, habits and culture of other cultures, a bit complicated, I hope you know what I mean.
Actually Carl, I do know what you mean. In a way, one can’t separate the Roman culture from Greek culture all that much. There are so many similar elements that it’s easy to tell there was integration there. Goodness, even in your part of the world, because of the French influence you have many chefs that are great at their cuisine, which many here are often surprised to learn when they visit Vietnam and other places. Still, with race the visible differences are so much stronger that they just beg intolerance for some reason. I know I can only respond to so much in hoping things will change; I can only hope they won’t be forgotten.
This is for sure, difference make people stronger or weaker. I just meant that integration takes time, you know that I live in Thailand, they are same race, but there is huge separation with darker Thais, which you will never gonna see on TV and it is impossible to get a good job. However here the problem is the education.
You know Carl, it seems to be a common thread that the darker skinned people in almost every culture are the ones castigated against. So sad…
Hi Mitch,
A dear friend and former business partner once wrote a song entitled “Heart to Heart.” It wasn’t so much aimed at racism, but it was the kind of song a group might sing together before diving into a discussion about diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Your post brings it to mind because one lone voice does make a difference — within the context and setting where one encounters the “-isms.”
I’m reminded of a conversation I had within the past few days with a well-known blogger who illustrates this beautifully. She related a story (one of many) in which she found herself in a local establishment that never had many African American visitors.
One of the regular patrons entered and upon seeing one of those infrequent visitors, began an ugly diatribe. The blogger cut it off at the pass, giving the guy a mini lesson in tolerance, basic human rights, etc. He calmed down and my guess is he will at least have some pause the next time and the next time.
One voice, one heart, multiplied many times over in the places we find ourselves slowly impacts racism’s entrenchment. Thank you for being one of the voices. 🙂
Thanks Vernessa. To me, for every person that says to me things are better in today’s world, I refer them (at least on this blog) to my post about being an Invisible Man, a relatively modern story of what happened to me in a restaurant in Westchester County: http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog/am-i-an-invisible-man/
Sometimes we just have to tell our story, or give a different point of view, even if we’re the only ones that see it. Fairness; that’s pretty much all I ask.
Hi Mitch,
I read your post, Invisible Man. I’m sure Ellison doesn’t mind borrowing the line … Like us, the minding is in the invisibility.
I hope you don’t get the idea that I think racism does not exist, or that I have not both encountered and engaged others around it. 😀 Au contraire, my friend.
Your point in Am I An Invisible Man? — “I am an invisible man; she is now an enlightened woman.” — is my point, too.
The education seemingly never stops; it’s helpful when an enlightened one enlightens another.
Vernessa, I know you know it still exists; you have to have a history closer to mine than one closer to some of the younger folks we talk to these days. It’s funny to talk about enlightenment because we all have the opportunity to enlighten folks we encounter, but sometimes for whatever reason we just don’t or can’t take the opportunity to do so. That leaves us writing about it, such as the case with my friend Beverly’s post from the other day: http://babyboomerbev.blogspot.com/2011/07/who-are-my-forefathers.html
I’m pretty much a coward when it comes to speaking up, Mitch, but sometimes (as you know) I have to let rip. I did that (in a fairly moderate way) in my current post, but am still worrying what the response might be.
That said, it’s something I can do in my blog but am much less able – because I don’t have the courage – to get involved with in ‘real life’. I wish I were different. Maybe one day I will be. I do try to stand up for people, though, in my own quiet way. I think you do a good job of it yourself, and I’m with you entirely on the need for fairness.
Val, it’s probably easier for me to do it for a few reasons. One, I’m bigger than you. Two, I’m kind of visible naturally, can’t hide it, and thus if people are being, well, stupid, I get to call them out for it and it’s almost expected. Three, I’ve dealt with it for a very, very long time so I’m more practiced at it than you. But that’s okay; you write about it often enough and you have readers that see those posts, and thus it’s a very important contribution to the cause.