Choose to be Offended or Open Your Mind

Watch This Video Before Proceeding

Go back and watch the video if you didn't because it really sets up this blog.

I read an article by Joseph Williams, a freelance writer penned an article titled, Why Kids of Color Don’t Need “White Hero” Teachers.  Williams contends that white teachers cannot effectively teach black students because black students are different and white teachers do not understand them. 

Williams goes on to suggest that white teachers try to teach black students like they were white, imposing the same expectations on the black students as they would on white students. He quotes Christopher Emdin, author of the book, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood….and the Rest of Y’all Too who wrote, “It’s unrealistic, however, to expect kids from poor neighborhoods in crumbling schools with metal detectors at the doors and bars on the windows to sit down and shut up like their peer in the suburbs.”

My first reaction to the article was outrage.  How dare this person attack white teachers who go into black neighborhoods where they have to pass through metal detectors to teach?  He should be praising them for committing their lives to educating poor students.  But then I did what everyone needs to do today.  I walked away from being offended, sat down and opened my mind to ponder what he wrote.

I came away with the conclusion that he is right.  America is not a homogeneous society.  We are a mix of varying cultures.  We seemed to have forgotten this as we have been made to bow to the god of political correctness or feel its wrath.  There was a time when we recognized differences of culture, often with humor.  What was funny is now offensive.  It was great material for comedians to make fun of the differences between white people and black people.  White people can’t dance; white people are stiff with no rhythm and so on.  Was it true of all whites?  Of course not.  Was it disparaging of whites?  It was only if you wanted to be offended (I laughed out loud at the video I posted).  I choose to laugh because there was a lot of truth to it.  The same, by both white and black comedians was done in regards to the idiosyncrasies of black culture. 

I really thought our country was on the path to being color blind and realizing Martin Luther King’s dream, but I have seen race relations deteriorate in the last seven years.  We are a powder keg of racial tension and it is exploding across the country.  This tension is fueled by race-baiters, movements like #BLM and organizations like the New Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam who are the flip side of the KKK who I condemn.  These movements and orgainzations promote hate and violence towards whites which in turn creates an equal and opposite reaction - hating blacks.  Everyone needs to reject hate groups and the evil they promote.

Instead of attacking one another we need to recognize that despite cultural difference we are Americans all riding on the same bus.  We can fight and let the bus careen out of control or we can work together to drive it to a better place.

We need to acknowledge that not all behavior is acceptable nor does it lead to success in America.  Not being quiet in the classroom and focusing on what the teacher is teaching will not lead to learning.  But as Williams pointed out these kids come from a different culture, it is unrealistic to expect them to conform to these standards no matter how important the standards are.  We have to admit that people, especially those who live in abject poverty, have a different set of values and lack the skills and resources many of us take for granted.  We have to slowly transition those living in poverty and a culture that requires metal detectors and bars on the windows at their school to a culture where that is not the norm.

I have said this before and will say it again and again.  Attacking white people, blaming white people for the problems facing many blacks today and acting violently will not solve any problems.  They will divide us further and cause our country to be weak.

Stop being offended; stop blaming racism for your failure to be successful in a country that allows uneducated illegal immigrants to be successful.  This is America and anyone can be successful if they work hard.  The government is not your friend.  They feed you scraps to keep you dependent on them. 

We the people need to work together to eliminate poverty and violence in our country.  It is in all our best interest to raise the quality of life for every American.  When I look at my fellow American the only colors I see are red, white and blue until they decide to bring race into the picture.  Let's all wrap ourselves in being American and work together to make America great again.