You will search the world in vain to find a “natural born racist”. Babies are never racist. Racism is a learned behavior.
Before I go any further, I know there are people who take great pride in their so-called race and/or skin color. And that’s quite okay, if you are the type who wants to do that - just as long as you don’t promote so-called superior racial attributes.
Because here is perhaps the Biggest Thing that modern genetics has uncovered; race is a myth. Different “races” of people simply do not exist. Any perceived difference is only superficial. Like skin color. Genetically, we are all alike. There is not even the tiniest difference among the “so-called” races of humanity at the genetic level.
While teaching at the Bristol Jail, I had a student named Marcus. This soul, who had suffered terrible injustice because of the color of his skin, had faced racism head on countless times in life. In fact, Marcus hated racism so much that he even began “looking for it everywhere” … and he came to hate anyone he thought stood for it. Of course, the terrible paradox of such an attitude is that one becomes what one hates the most.
How could I get Marcus to see that I saw him as my brother?
Oh, man, I knew it was going to take a while.
While we were studying together one night, Marcus told me, “Mr. Talley, I wouldn’t even drink after a White man.” Well, at least he was honest, and I told him so.
A month or so passed with Marcus watching me like a hawk, looking for every excuse to call me out on racism. He found none … perhaps because I paid “no attention” to race, at all.
When Marcus ultimately passed his GED exam (with one of the highest scores I ever saw) I told him I’d buy us each a soft drink to celebrate together.
When I returned to the tiny jail library from going to get our soft drinks, I did something to Marcus I had never done before - I lied to him.
I told him that the soft drink machine in the jail lobby was out of Mountain Dew (it was not) and that I couldn’t find any clean cups in the jail kitchen (when I could).
“Marcus,” I said, “we gonna have to split this Dr. Pepper you wanted. But you drink your half first, and I’ll finish up after you.”
He held the bottle up to within maybe a centimeter from his lips, watching me hard for the tiniest hint of repulsion on my face.
Marcus, like many inmates I’d taught, was a master at “reading” even the tiniest micro-expression on a fellow man’s face. There wasn’t a chance that I could hide how I truly felt if I didn’t like drinking after him because of the color of his skin. I knew it. Marcus knew it. More importantly, Marcus knew that I knew it.
Then Marcus suddenly did an amazing thing. He handed the Dr. Pepper bottle back to me and said, “Here, Mr. Talley. You do the honors. I’ll drink after you.”
After I drank my half, Marcus finished off the Doctor Pepper with full gusto. Then he slowly laid down the empty bottle.
For I’m not sure how long, neither one of us spoke. Words were not necessary. Indeed, words would only have spoiled the moment.
Marcus was delivered to federal prison the next day. It was the last time I ever saw him.
But it was not the last time I ever thought of him. Marcus taught me much, indeed.
So, if you want to keep your Hip Hop Inner City “Culture”, or Good Ol’ Boy Hillbilly “Culture”, or whatever “culture” you may claim, that is quite fine. I understand. But you should understand that those are differences of culture, not of race. Race, the way we commonly think of it, is simply a manmade myth.
No, I didn’t march from Selma to Montgomery. But I can march from the Bristol YWCA to Bristol’s First Baptist Church. Come join me tomorrow, my friends, if you can.
Following is the planned schedule of events for Bristol to celebrate MLK Jr Day tomorrow (supposedly we gonna march regardless of the weather):
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