Souls of White Folks

Participants & Teachers

Several months ago I received an email advertising the class, "Souls of White Folks" sponsored by Mecklenburg Ministries. Since my sister had challenged me to understand how white privilege might impact my work-in-progess Half-Truths, I enrolled. 


Along with my classmates and teachers, we have explored the following topics:

• choice and access to services
• divisions caused by race and economics
• awareness of who we live, work, and socialize with
• white shame 
• the difference between patronage and partnership
• safety in private and public places
• the cost of racism
• differences and similarities
• fears and assumptions
• cross-cultural connections

Last week we were encouraged to write a prayer, a personal response to the class, or to record what we hoped to remember. One of my classmates, Tom E. Bowers, wrote this:

I am a racist. When we meet, I always notice color.

I am not a racist. When we connect, I don't notice color because I care about you and what's happening in our world.

A young thin white male store clerk handling a return asked unanswerable questions required by the store. The nearby middle-aged, heavyset black employee keyed in what the store system  required and instructed the clerk how to proceed. I was surprised. Shame on me.

I am a racist until we connect at a level of sharing thoughts and feelings with interest and caring for each other. 

**********

I wrote this poem:

Gifts

Remember

who you are,

and where you have come from.

You have gifts

that you have not even recognized as gifts.

You have taken for granted your skin

your privilege

your heritage

your safety in coming and going

your lack of fear.

You have not had to fight

or work,

for these gifts.

Remember

those who have

not

lived without a battle

because they were born

shades darker than yourself.

Brown, at times,

was not beautiful.

But was mocked

degraded

discriminated against.

Shunned.

Is that history in each

black person you meet?

Maybe yes,

Maybe no.

But know that

somewhere in their family

a mother, father

aunt, or grandfather--

did not have the

same gifts as you.

Remember.

**********

For a thought-provoking article on white privilege, read Peggy McIntosh's article, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack."