I know these folks, have lived among them my entire life, and still try on occasion to reach out to them and bring them forward. But mostly I am at a loss.
How do we change the mind set of people that have a belief system not based in facts and logic? People that literally believe the Earth is ~6000 years old and/or climate change is a hoax. Those that lack, or don’t exercise their critical thinking skills.
How do we change the mindset of someone who verbally abuses and/or gaslights you whenever you try? When sometimes all you physically can do is run away from the interaction that trips all the triggers of abuse you grew up with.
How do we teach people who are uncomfortable with self-introspection, to take the time to critically examine and reflect on their own words and actions? And to reflect on the behaviors of people they consider leaders?
How do we white folk actually accomplish the great task of changing the mindset of our close-minded brethren? Is it even possible when they suspect any source that does not align with their belief system, as elite propaganda??
And most importantly, how do we hold white folks living in denial accountable, when they don’t even believe reality?
Maybe we don’t…
~~~~
The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.
The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion.
As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.
We must disentrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.
teaching 16 credits at 3 colleges. 12 credits is FT in this part of the country, so I am basically working 1.33 FT status.
one college wants to arm campus security because of the UCC and other campus shootings, so I have been having to follow along and stand up for those of us who don’t want armed campus “police” in our safe learning spaces.
at another I am involved in a gender discrimination and general administration complaint.
at the third I am following/involved in getting a better contract for adjunct faculty.
I also logged over 23 hours of field time with students this term. This figure does not include scouting field trips.
a core group of us have come together to move forward. Much love to the amazing individuals who have done more in less than 2 weeks than we ever did under the Justice Together (re-)brand.
When I was a little girl looking up at my beloved, but very racist (and sexist) Grandfather, I prayed that those attitudes, that I found so flawed at my tender age, would die out with his generation. After he died I wrote these words about him in my journal to express my conflicting feelings for this man I did love.
He loved rocks and god.
He took care of his family.
Gave freely to needy strangers.
Outside looking in.
Upstanding citizen.
So why does he hate you so?
The color of your skin, the length of your hair?
Weren’t you born of the same god as he, as me?
Reach out my hand now, his face is so cold, pale, and dead.
No lies to tell about you.
Look at me, I see you.
Different eyes, why?
What did he see?
I hope I never see!
His Jesus had long hair?
Why don’t I see?
As he saw.
Just the color of your skin,
The length of your hair?
Do you see me?
Did he?
– Journal entry from January 24, 2000
~~~~~
Even though I loved my grandfather very much, sadly he was my first experience with racism and sexism. I also credit him with my first experiences of a loving (albeit dysfunctional) family and introducing me to a love of rocks and minerals, which I carry with me to this day. In many ways he was everything you think a grandfather should be; he loved us, taught us lots of stuff, and best of all (if you are a kid) he took us to do many fun things, including many rock and mineral hunting trips. It’s safe to say that I pretty much idolized this man when I was a child. But he also left me traumatized in many ways, and his constant hatred of “others” was one of them.
Grandpa used to read the paper every night and was very vocal about how he felt about the n*$$ers, immigrants, and long hairs. I remember questioning him about the long hair thing, “but Grandpa, Jesus had long hair,” which was really all I had any evidence for back then, well before the internet as we know it today. He would explain that Jesus grew up in a time before scissors and barber shops. I was younger than 10 at the time, so he won that round and I don’t recall ever challenging him again.
Over the years, as many teenagers and their grandparents do, we grew apart and when I did see him, I still didn’t feel enough personal power to “rock the boat.”
Sadly he died before I ever got to tell him where he could shove his racist and sexist ideology.
Sometimes we’re around folks so that we get clear examples of who we never want to become.
I remember asking my Grandma how she could be married to a man like him, again when I was a preteen, and she said I would understand when I grew up.
No Grandma, I still don’t understand and I hope I never will!!!
As I look around at the world today I am aghast to see that these same racist (and sexist) attitudes that I abhorred as a child, are still just as prevalent as Grandpa ranting over the nightly paper about how it was all “their” fault, meaning either black, brown, hippie, or pretty much anyone he considered to be “other.” From my Facebook* feed alone, much of which stems from the same area my grandfather lived in and I grew up in, I now know there is much work yet to be done in changing these antiquated and uneducated beliefs.
Thankfully I am no longer that confused, scared little girl who couldn’t wrap her mind around hating others because of their skin color, outer appearance, and/or gender. In her place is a grown woman, who has found her voice, and isn’t afraid to use it to call out such bigoted, sexist behavior!
*If you are currently friends with me on FaceBook and we grew up together, then count yourself among the lucky few who have managed to not piss me off with racist and/or sexist attitudes!! Thank you!
