A recent rationale for not inviting a Black man to join a group of white women to discuss racism was:
“Black people shouldn’t have to do the work of educating whites about racism.”
The comment took me back to an early June article in The Washington Post entitled “I’m your Black friend, but I won’t educate you about racism. That’s on you.” [Black Friends Educate Racism]
In the article, the Black friend was surprised that her white friend did not know what happened in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Frankly, neither did I until I read the article. When the Black friend became enraged, what did her white friend do? She hung up the telephone.
I understand that it can be hard to imagine that I, at the age of 71, did not know the significance of Philadelphia, Mississippi – the place where the bodies of three civil rights workers – James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman – and those of other Black bodies were discovered. To read more about the three click here.
The reality is I was unaware. Just as I was unaware of the many ways the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) defied the Supreme Court and the Constitution by implementing segregated housing policies, or the ways systemic racism was built on our own laws [Jim Crow and the removal of Jim Crow laws]. Until I started reading. And reading.
I cannot speak for all white people, any more than one Black person can speak for all Black people, but speaking for myself, I have much to learn from listening to and engaging in conversations about racism with my Black friends and colleagues.
Learning about the personal racist experiences suffered by Black people requires us to build a trusting, safe and listening environment. A classic example of building mutual trust is shared in this video of a Black man who interacted with the Ku Klux Klan. I encourage you to watch it here.
Or watch this inspirational CBS story about a Chattanooga TN group that is helping Blacks and whites to break down the racial wall by opening up candid conversations here.
Or watch any of the videos of “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” hosted by Emannuel Acho which are also available on YouTube.
So how do we build enough trust to create experiences where we can allow our beliefs or our understandings to be challenged? How do we create an environment where people feel free to share and be truly heard?