Racism

Growing up in Utah I rarely encountered racism as our area was so white, there was no one except women to be prejudice against. In my 20's I lived in the liberal northeast where I was again blind to racism as there was too much diversity and openmindedness to single anyone out. Presently, I'm living in the South and my eyes have been opened and now I see what I've only heard about and thought long dead.

I met with a faculty colleague this week who told me stories of students refusing to take her courses after they arrived and saw she was black. Then today, I got talking outside with my neighbor who said he was reluctantly voting for McCain because when it came down to it, "I just can't bring myself to vote for a black man." This said as the neighbors behind us, who are black, sat on their back patio enjoying a holiday weekend with their extended family. I prayed they hadn't heard him as I now understood why his daughter doesn't go outside when their children are out playing with mine. How can you slur such a beautiful family because of their skin color? (For full disclosure, my neighbor is Asian). The worst part is my mother-in-law won't vote for Obama, which is fine and she gives several reasons why, except my husband and I agree that the largest part of it is because he's black and I suspect she still hasn't gotten over blacks being "cursed."

I'm encouraged that a black man stands to gain the presidency of this country, but his candidacy is uncovering an ugliness that has long been hiding behind the fake pleasantries of suburbia. It is my hope that in my lifetime, I will see a day when this country can leave behind its obsession with color and concentrate its efforts on issues that will lift us all up, no matter our race.