My
son studies and loves history at a rate that is deeper than many college
students. He is fascinated by assignations and wars. So, of course, Martin
Luther King comes around in his studies as well as Hitler. They were on the opposite
sides of the coin of racism and I often tell him that.
Today,
when he was getting off the bus, he was yelling the word “racism” to someone on
the bus, but when I questioned him about it, he wouldn’t say who or why. Later,
he told Martin a little bit that the kids on the bus were discussing what they
thought the word meant. His first question to me off the bus was, “Mama, what
is racism?” I explained it several different ways to him. Still the question
stuck with me as he repeated his question to me over and over (as he often
does).
Making Best of Enemies
Racism
didn’t begin with Martin Luther King
It
is a very ancient thing
When
someone looked at the shape of one’s leg
Or
the color of hair or if that person ate eggs
The
looker deemed it all unworthy
To
not to be and called it “dirty”
What
makes us look askance
at
someone because they can’t dance?
We
choose and say one is right and one is wrong
And
we fight or struggle amongst the throng
People
are people is what we say
But
how is that shown today?
We
are making judgements right and left
Sitting
on the opportunities of others bereft
The
opposite of this is grace
To
judge not from race
Or
creed, or purpose, or positions
Going
out of our box creates imposition
To
find that uncomfortable zone of friendship
Somewhere
in an uncommon kinship
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