Reply #157: You indicated I was racist. [View All]

[mzteris]

I'm not - which I think is amply illustrated by the fact that my son is black.

I'm here to tell you that I grew up racist. I grew up in GA and Alabama. I grew up with racism and all it's ugliness.

I overcame my racism. Quite frankly, I worked at it to rid myself of the thoughts that had been pounded into me by my environment.

Yeah - I HAVE spent a great deal of time and study and conversation on blacks in America. On racism. On being a black man.On driving while black. On every single issue that is important to African Americans. This wasn't casual conversation - I wanted - nay, I NEEDED - to learn everything I could. To try and understand everything that African Americans go through, think, feel, etc - so I could help my son grow up proud and cognizant of the issues in the AA community.

I'll say it one more time, I learned of "internalized racism" from a Black Culture class taught by a professor who was a Black Panther and is still a huge activist. bell hooks is a very good source for reading and understanding about this issue. It is a very real issue.

Now, really, I think you are way out of ilne. I am NOT the only one to be leary of the action - in fact, quite a few AA are upset by it as well. Who are YOU to tell them they can't be upset, eh?