One diarist wrote about how she could not believe the hatred in this diary - Never before have I seen such hatred . I was in my mid teens when I first came face to face with such hatred, different issues but the same hate. It was 40 years ago.
And I know 40 years before that incident, in the 1930's there was lots of hate going round. Fruit of hate hanging from trees.
This hate is not new, it is ravenous and has been with us always. I think there are various reasons for it, but the emotion, how it stimulates the brain is not new.
But this hate can certainly stun a compassionate person who thinks that all around them are compassionate people. A person who thinks that reason should be the default, not the exception. I was stunned when it first happened around me. I just could not believe people were like that. It hurt very much. But compassion and empathy stimulates my brain in a certain way as well.
We were down south, Louisiana I think, and we were running out of gas. We came upon a gas station, and the people inside would not come out to pump the gas. I remember looking at them peeking out the window of their front door at us. I remember that is was sunny and we were in a red convertible. I asked my mother why they did not come out. I thought they looked scared of us. My mother said that they only probably served local Negroes and they did not want to serve us. Later my father had to walk for gas. I was filled with anxiety for him.
Maybe it is still like that in some back wood places, but not mainstream. What changed this? People did somehow. It is against the law and businesses can be sued.
Grow armor and spread compassion to the young, to that young man who obviously needs some. Show him that there is another way until you do not want to show him anymore. That is a key thing, he does not have to be your life long project. Just walk the talk, that is the most powerful thing, to not get discouraged and keep stepping... forward.
In my 53 years, I hope that I have influenced people to look at their lives differently, maybe it is just for a little bit.
A generation or two before, maybe they would not have had an African American friend and would not even notice that African Americans couldn't get a cab easily in Manhattan. Or maybe their African American friend from college has a 16 year old son who likes hard music, and has teenage attitude like any teenage boy and they see Trayvon Martin and are outraged because their friend's son is like part of their family. And the injustice just smacks them in the face. When I was growing up in North Philadelphia, a policeman killed my cousin who was unarmed and got off. People were shooting each other left and right in the 70's Philadelphia. I did not feel that there was the media attention to that at all nor the sympathy. I was young, but none of my white friends cared or knew about it. I went to a private school. But here we are 35 years on and some of them are outraged where their parents weren't so much when we were growing up. Some of those same parents did not want me hanging out with their daughters. But some of the daughters stuck to their guns, they too under the promises of civil rights and grew up to be different than their parents.
That is how it works. Little baby steps.
So there is progress. We have an African/Irish/American President which for me is too great and even though for some of you he is not all that, but for me I think he is great and deserves a Second Term. He will totally get my vote.
So keep up the good fight but do not get discouraged. You stand on the shoulders of many who have come before you, just walking the walk in their everyday lives. What you do in your life can influence generations and perhaps one day we will see less people like your co-worker.