Black & White

"The ink is black, the page is white
Together we learn to read and write.
A child is black, a child is white
The whole world looks upon the sight,
A beautiful sight..."

The lyrics to this old "Three Dog Night" song are applicable to my thoughts of late. It seems that so many issues around RACE have been pulled into my radar recently.


President Barack Obama is partially black (and somehow when you're even partially black, that takes over all the other races, and 'becomes' your race? More on that later...) I bring him up here only because my issue is not his race, but that he totally used his race to his advantage in winning the vote in 2008. And he continues to use it. We won't even talk about his politics here. With the Republican preliminary debates and elections under full swing, this year is very political and a hotbed of discussion, and he's in the news constantly -- which is the only reason he's on my mind at all, and made it into this post.

Another issue 'in my face' right now through my History classes: The whole Civil War battle, costing over 650,000 American lives -- basically centered on the issue of slavery. In a nutshell, it was large and small businessmen who used slaves to make and maintain their fortunes fighting to secede from a Union that threatened their way of life. Although some were "good to their slaves," blacks were still slaves. Human beings were slaves. And even after it was illegal to own slaves, it took 100 years for black Americans to start truly being recognized as equal to white Americans. I just completed a 6-page paper on the "Reconstruction of America" and how even a legal mandate failed to integrate blacks into white society. Interesting issue, and sad.

Today Steve and I went to see the new movie "Red Tails." It is a great story of an all "negro" flight squadron during the World War II. This highly skilled team of pilots was eager to serve their country, but because of racism and bigotry were relegated to basic 'amateur' jobs in old clunky military hand-me-down planes instead of being given meaningful flight missions. It's based on true facts, and a very motivating and inspiring story of their battle to be recognized as Americans, and treated equally among our nation's military and U.S. citizens. It's not soapboxy, and doesn't hammer whites. It's just a great story, and example of this centuries-long battle. "Negros bleed red, too."

I moved around a lot as a kid, and when I was in Kindergarten in Macy, Nebraska, we lived in a trailer in the middle of a corn field directly behind the church. My dad was working with the "Lamanite Placement Program" through the Church, and we truly lived in the middle of the reservation. As you see in this photo, I was one of "two white kids" in my class (front/left). I  never really realized that until later in my life.  I also lived in North Carolina and Arizona where there was a high concentration of blacks and Indians, and I had many 'ethnic' friends all through school. It was just the 'norm' for me growing up. It's great how kids don't see color as a separating feature, just a feature.

Moving to Tennessee almost 24 years ago put us back in a melting pot of races. Our kids have grown up with friends from a variety of races in their schools, neighborhoods, church classes and sports teams. We are blessed to have dear friends who are black,
India(n), Asian, Southern (which has been called its own race :o) and mixtures of many races. It's great to share stories, ideas, experiences and friendships with PEOPLE.

NOT TO MENTION...my daughter, Randi, has given us three beautiful grandsons, who happen to have a black father. They are precious to us, and bring us much joy. To think what their lives would have been like if they were born in the early 1800's is a sad and scary thought. To think of the battles they would have had to fight if they'd been born even 50 years ago is still sad and scary. As 'mixed race' children in 2012, their lives will still be smirched by some people's racism and bigotry. But we pray they will grow up strong, and there are so many others in today's melting pot, that they won't be alone, and will hopefully feel a lighter STING to the racism that remains in our country. [And just a side note, something that has always bugged me...some people call them "black" -- which is only 50% true. They are just as much "white!" They are not one race or the other, they are both. And really, do they have to be called anything but a child?] Hopefully in their lives they will gain clarity of their eternal purpose and value and make their 'mixed race' totally irrelevant to anything else about them.

Just had to put these thoughts on paper (so to speak).