The Begining

For the record, I am an African American 40+ male. I decided to blog on race because it's still the 800 pound gorilla in the room not many African Americans want to talk about. I also want to re focus a common tendency when race is discussed. Race discussions are usually centered around moral, ideological, or philosophical iterations or far too pedagogical towards whites. For me this has often created more hostility from targets and victims of racism by only reinforcing what we already know, its like rubbing it in our faces.

I think it's time to focus on solutions for racism's impact. This is where I think time and energy spent on contemplating any residue will do the most good, in illuminating the personal consequences for the targets of racism leading to better understanding of ourselves, and how to change outcomes. If we we can neutralize these personal consequences then we save lives and possibly communities. In addition and probably my favorite piece, it leads to better understanding of how we live with race.

Most of us live with thoughts impacted by race everyday, in varying degrees. Some neutral unsuspecting encounter, often daily, will raise an element of the peculiar circumstances of race. When that condition gets added to overtly racialized encounters, how large is the impact? The knowledge of where I've gone emotionally under those conditions, is varied and has yielded benefits after review. Another important question is raised by experience, how do I move forward safely?

Consensus opinion seems to imply targets of racism are recipients of the most harm from racial attacks, social, economic or otherwise, and that should be enough to justify my focus. This assault on our humanity is far reaching. Also, racism ain't going nowhere (more than a century and counting)so it behoves us to deal. If not for ourselves then for the next generation of young men and women potentially tripped up for the rest of their lives.

Given that at the end of the day, all I really want after all has been said (no pun intended) and done, is to be okay. Whole. Complete. Able to continue my day and my life in the most productive way. We owe it to ourselves to be loving and kind despite these critical injuries. anyone can understand that. Legislation or political action won't do this work, it will not make me feel safe. This has to get figured out by us.

At this point in history the basis for racism is well known. Various theories, social, political, spiritual, scientific have all been afloat a long time. So I won't add yet another psychoanalytical dissertation on it. Any library or the Internet can provide that much better. Nor will I spend time repeating certain points previously argued, race as an illusion, or as political construct. This is not a debate. This blog will mainly be concerned with experiences, feelings, responses and observations to events, in the most honest way possible, followed with introspection and solutions to clear a path to the other side of a sometimes horrific and often times questionable, situation. In other words, I intend to focus on the broad sweeping implications for the lives of victims of racism, and solutions to save us from certain inevitable consequences. That said, I am not a pacifist. I will never imply that anyone turn the other cheek. I will say sunlight is the best disinfectant, so be warned. I am a survivor of racism, determined to live a wonderfully healthy and productive life in the face of American cultural issues, particularly within the context of race.

I believe all people possess the ability to overcome issues stemming from racism provided those experiences get processed within constructive context. For centuries American problems with race have compromised the unity of an entire people, and perhaps the entire world. Enough already. We have common history and therefore a common solution, we need to re focus our energies on solutions. I pray that this blog adds momentum to that solution. From this point on I will post every Monday, minimally.