tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post3018462299524443179..comments2024-02-21T14:12:55.866-06:00Comments on coming home to myself: Realizing My Own PrejudiceDeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-13143202450866809742012-02-13T23:10:29.048-06:002012-02-13T23:10:29.048-06:00I am so glad to find this discussion here. Just th...I am so glad to find this discussion here. Just the other day I read <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/endracism" rel="nofollow">this woman's plea to people of all races</a> to start talking about our racism. Her article, and Attorney General Holder's speech, to which she links, are informative, telling and inspiring.<br /><br />Thank you for opening this discussion.graceonlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07600679221472546269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-91921781346467440162012-02-05T21:46:30.714-06:002012-02-05T21:46:30.714-06:00But with am open mind you may end up doing both yo...But with am open mind you may end up doing both you and your pupils some good:)Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174142810114806410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-34293585357963402392012-01-26T20:54:47.302-06:002012-01-26T20:54:47.302-06:00Dear Pam,
Yes. Constant vigilance.
Peace.Dear Pam,<br />Yes. Constant vigilance.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-21938609172432445432012-01-26T20:54:20.887-06:002012-01-26T20:54:20.887-06:00Dear Susan,
Like you, I saw few blacks when I was ...Dear Susan,<br />Like you, I saw few blacks when I was growing up. Independence, Missouri, had hispanics (we called them "Mexicans" back in the '40s) but few blacks. Mostly my philosophy of social justice was untested. On that day in Dayton, Ohio, I saw clearly, stunningly, that a bias had festered in me for years. Fortunately I was able to do something about that because the school district was willing to take a chance on me.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-58993202126842749872012-01-26T20:51:03.609-06:002012-01-26T20:51:03.609-06:00Dear Debra,
Well, I've had advantages in life ...Dear Debra,<br />Well, I've had advantages in life and one of those has been been able to afford to meet with counselors and psychiatrists. So I've learned to watch for emerging patterns in my thinking. When those patterns bring contentment I choose to keep them. When they harm me or others, then I weed them out. Thus, the inner-city school.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-76539801657609927102012-01-26T20:48:35.480-06:002012-01-26T20:48:35.480-06:00Dear Friko,
I hope my next few postings will expla...Dear Friko,<br />I hope my next few postings will explain more fully why I felt teaching in an inner-city school was important for me.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-85305594544843748402012-01-26T20:47:52.394-06:002012-01-26T20:47:52.394-06:00Dear EC,
Your comment "rocked ME back on my h...Dear EC,<br />Your comment "rocked ME back on my heels"! You've put your finger on one of the ism of today. The "ism" that looks at children who are different from what people like to think of as the "norm" and finds these children, these adults, wanting. We have racism and classism and all kinds of "isms" to cover all the biases we develop about people who seem to differ from us. If only we could look and see samenesses how different life would be.<br /><br />Thank you so much for sharing your voluntary work experience. It's experiences like that--if we can reflect on them--that help us grow into the fullness of humanity to which we are called.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-22452928154696038112012-01-26T20:42:38.223-06:002012-01-26T20:42:38.223-06:00Dear Sandi,
You are always so generous with your c...Dear Sandi,<br />You are always so generous with your comments. Thank you for your kind words. <br />And I so hope that all is going well for you in your teaching.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-14284471240723611822012-01-26T16:36:37.262-06:002012-01-26T16:36:37.262-06:00Nicely written, Dee. Even tho I was raised not to ...Nicely written, Dee. Even tho I was raised not to be prejudice, I believe we are all prone to have such thoughts. We must remain vigilant so it does not become a habit.<br />Hugs, <br />Pam :)pennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07696361625481123431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-43684706467724613882012-01-26T15:32:01.730-06:002012-01-26T15:32:01.730-06:00I grew up across the river in Illinois. I never s...I grew up across the river in Illinois. I never saw a black person until I was a junior in highschool. And, yes, the prejudice in the community was the same as in Missouri. <br />Amazing how we can see how totally horrible that is now.Susan Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834094675218254410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-5694418666392059282012-01-26T15:04:57.425-06:002012-01-26T15:04:57.425-06:00Dee, I think many of us have spent years trying to...Dee, I think many of us have spent years trying to understand and decode some very subtle messages that seeped into our thinking as children. Your resolve to do something so specific as to work in an inner city school to impact your own awareness just seems remarkable to me. I have always heard quite the reverse, going into a particular situation to "help others" in some way, but you sure did take down that divide! Wow!Debrahttp://www.breathelighter.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-79230541302145034802012-01-25T12:33:15.438-06:002012-01-25T12:33:15.438-06:00Interesting that you felt you needed to live among...Interesting that you felt you needed to live among black people to free yourself of prejudice.<br />Having become aware of it was the first step towards that goal, surely?<br /><br />I'll have to see what follows to understand, I suppose.Frikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04277167831642088694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-49336957250360973762012-01-24T23:57:00.190-06:002012-01-24T23:57:00.190-06:00I have come to expect honest and moving posts from...I have come to expect honest and moving posts from you. This one rocked me back on my heels. I think that all of us have prejudices, ones we have been taught, ones we have acquired as we move through life, and your willingness to not only admit it but to try and address it is inspiring.<br /><br />A common prejudice here, and perhaps there, is against people with disabilities and specifically those with mental health problems. This despite statistical data which indicates that they are more likely to be subjected to violence than to be the perpetrators.<br /><br />In my work (voluntary) as a telephone counsellor I try and listen to everybody and anybody with an open mind. Nonetheless sometimes I still smack face first into a brick wall preventing communication which I had not realised was there. A learning experience, each and every time.<br /><br />Please forgive my loooooong comment, and thank you for another wonderful post.Elephant's Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06650565833097914052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-66498714455480000862012-01-24T22:22:33.991-06:002012-01-24T22:22:33.991-06:00Dear Kathy,
Thank you for sharing your story about...Dear Kathy,<br />Thank you for sharing your story about a three-year-old you complaining about your cousin. So many people it seems to me mistake book-smart for heart-smart. Your last line is inspiring. <br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-83077240853807974052012-01-24T22:13:31.813-06:002012-01-24T22:13:31.813-06:00Dear Stephanie,
Thank you, I'd like to think o...Dear Stephanie,<br />Thank you, I'd like to think of myself as a loving person who found something I wanted to change in myself. That inner-city school helped me do that. But of course, I'm sure that there is still biases lurking within me. I wonder if we can ever be rid of them.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-19267016478093969912012-01-24T22:11:24.105-06:002012-01-24T22:11:24.105-06:00Dear Arleen,
Please look below at Sandi's comm...Dear Arleen,<br />Please look below at Sandi's comment. Yours helped her think her own thoughts about all this.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-59392009639515318002012-01-24T22:08:27.260-06:002012-01-24T22:08:27.260-06:00Dear DJan,
You've said this so well. It is the...Dear DJan,<br />You've said this so well. It is the human condition. Out of death--of anything--can come life.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-59118102423424002152012-01-24T22:07:36.827-06:002012-01-24T22:07:36.827-06:00Dear Yvonne,
I suspect that most of us fear that w...Dear Yvonne,<br />I suspect that most of us fear that which seems different--because of color or skill or religion. It's when we see one another as partner in growth that we can let go of prejudice. Or so I think.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-84566489838572689792012-01-24T22:06:23.507-06:002012-01-24T22:06:23.507-06:00Dear Mary,
I tend to think that my early childhood...Dear Mary,<br />I tend to think that my early childhood experience of feeling abandoned by my parents led me to an introspection that in the long run has been a blessing in my life. It's another example of how everything has seemed to work out unto good in my life. For me, that's one of the perks/pluses/joys of growing older: I have a longer life to look back on and to see the working out to good of things that at first appeared to be so negative and hurtful.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-29029279527481695622012-01-24T22:04:14.071-06:002012-01-24T22:04:14.071-06:00Dear Melynda,
And thank you for drawing my attenti...Dear Melynda,<br />And thank you for drawing my attention to this story through your blog.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-27754891641156621762012-01-24T22:03:31.606-06:002012-01-24T22:03:31.606-06:00Dear Elisa,
And I wish that more people could have...Dear Elisa,<br />And I wish that more people could have friends like you. You've been willing to change and grow and journey into the unknown. You're a model for all of us.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-34414404992280833222012-01-24T22:02:28.307-06:002012-01-24T22:02:28.307-06:00Dear Arleen,
What you've said reflects the wis...Dear Arleen,<br />What you've said reflects the wisdom of thinking deeply about all this over your life. It is as you say "through our faults and mistakes that we find growth." The mystery is why some of us are able to grow and others aren't. Is it fear of change? I don't know. Maybe fear of setting out into the unknown.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-53632109195823882922012-01-24T22:00:00.539-06:002012-01-24T22:00:00.539-06:00Dear Perpetua,
That Thursday posting is now only a...Dear Perpetua,<br />That Thursday posting is now only a day away and I'm wondering how I'll tell the story so that readers will truly appreciate what I learned from those students. Please send me some good thoughts and vibes. Prayers even. So that I might write well and do those students and that experience justice.<br /><br />Peace.Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-17179451838715665512012-01-24T21:58:03.858-06:002012-01-24T21:58:03.858-06:00Dear Teresa,
Have you ever read the poem "The...Dear Teresa,<br />Have you ever read the poem "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy? It is such a reflection on how we hurt one another because we see ourselves on one side or the other of some argument or difference. It can apply to a war--as the poem does--or to Civil Rights or the issue of abortion or anything that divides us into two camps.<br />The final stanza of the five-stanza poem is as follows:<br /> "Yes; quaint and curious war is!<br /> You shoot a fellow down<br />You'd treat, if met where any bar is,<br /> Or help to half-a-crown."<br /><br />PeaceDeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00612299013780771262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195629195750583833.post-84906452234930169612012-01-24T21:54:31.995-06:002012-01-24T21:54:31.995-06:00Dee, I really love your openness to growth and you...Dee, I really love your openness to growth and your humility in admitting to thoughts and feelings we've all had, but have trouble admitting. We all have prejudices -- many of them learned in our earliest years from parents and family or society. I listened to a tape recording recently of me talking with my father when I was three years old. I told him that I disliked my mother's youngest sister Ruth. He sounded surprised and asked "Why?" And I said "She has such a dumb little boy! George is really stupid!" I heard that with a rush of shame and thought about how often I had thought that in my growing years. It took a lot of time and maturity to realize that my cousin George may not have been book-smart, but that he was and is a wonderful person whose emotional intelligence shines. I think that learning to value people as they are is one of the most important challenges we face in life.Dr. Kathy McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903015507894951725noreply@blogger.com