Today's class left me feeling emotionally drained from our race discussion.
I am naturally a more out spoken person, and the reaction I got from my comment made me feel completely misunderstood. My perception from the discussion made me believe that because I am white, my opinion doesn't matter, or that I can't possibly relate to a minority group. This feeling just fuels the vicious cycle. As a woman, society determines how I am supposed to act and dress. I make it part of my life to go against some of these stereotypes. Yes, I like to wear dresses and tights. Yes, I love kids. And yes, I'm a helpless romantic. BUT NO, i don't want to be told what to do, I don't like to clean, and I decide when I'll be physical with my partner. The only way I can gain more rights is to be active in obtaining my wants. Being vocal about the oppressive behavior of others and actively changing the perception of women is the only positive way I know that can create change. I think a great example today is Barack Obama and his campaign of change. Yes, he is a part of a minority group, but he spoke for everyone. He actively went out into the communities to educate people on his campaign. He has lead an example for all human beings. We can't be afraid of what others will think, because there will always be people who will dislike you. Yet, we can't just jump to conclusions about my superiority because of my skin color. We have more in common then we think. I never tried to offend anyone, and I think my thoughts didn't translate vocally...Race is a hard topic to discuss. But I don't think we won't be able to discuss it in a constructive way unless we let our guards down.
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I totally agree. Race is hard to discuss. I understand what you mean about not being understood or that what you said might not have translated well. I feel like that happens to me all the time. Or that people listen but don't really hear what you have to say. I would have liked to hear you sort of point out these things you mentioned here. When you wrote, "Yet, we can't just jump to conclusions about my superiority because of my skin color. We have more in common then we think." That really hit home for me.
ReplyDeleteIf it means anything, I understand what you mean.
Oh, I wish I could access the moment you refer to here. I regret that you felt misunderstood and that you felt that you could not contribute - or were not welcome to contribute - to the discussion. Not the outcome I'd really hope for.
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that we need to all be involved in these discussions - as members of this crazy fantastic dizzying and sometimes terrifying culture.
Thanks for stickign with it and addressing your thoughts some more in this forum.