Greetings my friends. I
pray the day is treating you well. What do
you do when ignorance is right in front of you?
How do you respond……..or don’t respond……when someone spews verbal
hatred? I don’t understand racism, prejudice
or bigotry. I don’t understand why
ignorance runs rampant in our world.
I have spent the last 5 days enjoying Paris. I have experienced a different culture and
way of life. I have watched fashionistas
with Gucci cross body bags ride bicycles in the Champ de Elysees. I have observed different races, different
cultures converse about what they see and their experiences, in what is said to
be, one of the best places on Earth.
Tonight we celebrated the birthday of my dear friend. We dressed up, ate at a beautiful hotel,
drank wine, laughed, snapped pictures, talked and embraced our
environment. At the end of our evening,
we walked outside ready to take some last minute photos before our Uber
arrived.
What happened next was unexpected and disappointing. A group of people (obviously drunk….at least
I hope they were) got into their car in front of where we were standing. “1, 2, 3, 4, catch a Nigger by the toe!”……….Now
say what?!?! Did I really just hear
that? Did this really just happen? Okay…….let me think before I act. The natural response that brews inside when
that word is heard is something that I can’t explain. I am in Paris, they are in a car, I am with
my son, I am with my friend, she is with her baby…….okay let me think before I
act.
My son, being ever so observant, said “Mom…..don’t! Mom…..I see you, let it go!” So, I stood there and stared……I stared at the
passengers in the car. I stared at the
silly, drunk, ignorant buffoons in the back seat. The girls saw me looking…..eyes piercing
their vehicle. As if I were Superman
with laser focus burning the back of the car.
They ducked down (as if I couldn’t see them). They told the men up front to drive off
(which they did not for several minutes).
They would not look at me. When
they did and I was STILL staring, they quickly turned away. As they drove out one girl mumbled something
about Cookie Lyon….blah, blah, blah and off they went.
In the moment of processing my thoughts I realized that
ignorance is ignorance. Yes, my reaction
was to go over to the car, grab someone by the hair, pull them out and proceed
to unleash my fury. My reaction was to
walk to the window and spit in the face of hatred. Those words are hatred! I could never imagine myself saying ANYTHING
like that of any race! Who does
that? When is that okay? How is that okay? How do you fix your mouth to say those
words? Cracker…..Honkey…….Sand Nigger…….Chink…….Wetback……..Oreo……..whatever
the word, it is all the same……ignorance.
Racism, prejudice and bigotry are birthed from ignorance. Ignorance of other cultures, ignorance of
other races, ignorance of action, ignorance.
I would have never thought that I would come to Paris and be
subject to such a thing. Don’t get me
wrong, it happens everywhere, but in this moment, it was so unexpected and so
disappointing.
If you have never been on the receiving end, then it may be
hard for you to understand. It may be
hard for you to identify with the feelings, the blood boiling, the heart pounding,
the fist clinching, the anger you feel when someone disrespects who you
are.
I continued to stare the car down and even took a photo to
somehow public shame these idiots. As
they drove off, I understood what I witnessed was ignorance. We will fight, not with our fists but with
our words, our actions, creating awareness, having conversations, championing
change and bridging the gaps. I will
educate my son so he is aware, he is prepared, he is informed and he is enlightened. He just had the opportunity to meet a
beautiful woman from Morocco who spoke so passionately about her world travels,
her time in America and her life in Paris.
She told him how he would be loved in Morocco. She was so open and so true.
That was a moment I had to let pass. That was a moment I had to recognize the
ignorance and let them be. That was a
moment I used to teach my son some very valuable life lessons. Things I pray he never experiences but unfortunately
I am afraid he will again.
Does it ever stop? I
don’t know, I hope so, I pray so. Today
was a good day…..it was a great day. So,
I see ignorance as ignorance and chose to let them be. The next person may not be so forgiving. I may not be so forgiving. Let us educate, embrace and respect. You don’t have to know me but you will
respect me.
Love to you all!!!
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