Comments on: And hope moves to concern… http://www.theobamanation.com/2008/01/13/and-hope-moves-to-concern/ Mulatto Moments in "Post Racial" America. Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:29:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: nmb http://www.theobamanation.com/2008/01/13/and-hope-moves-to-concern/comment-page-1/#comment-6 nmb Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:28:00 +0000 http://www.theobamanation.com/wpblog/2008/01/13/and-hope-moves-to-concern/#comment-6 If nothing else, the ignorant email re Obama and the ensuing conversations it generated, as well as this blog and the Primaries in general, have opened up a great dialogue with my 8 year old daughter (who, by the way, also talked about it in class to 20 other 8 year olds). She has listened carefully to it all and then asked why people are racist. And asked if, in fact, her friends "of color" could be racist as well and if they could be prejudiced against her (she being white). I had to tell her that though her friends aren't prejudiced, since their parents seem to be like me and teach love of people, not hatred of color, there are people of all colors and religions and backgrounds who are prejudiced. She wanted to know how racism and prejudice "started". How do you explain hatred sprouting from fear and ignorance to a small little mind who doesn't understand hatred in the first place? She wondered if I moved us to this neighborhood to teach her not to be racist. I told her I moved to this neighborhood because I loved the house, and I hoped our race and the races of our neighbors would be a non-issue. Sadly it was an issue to many (white) people I know...but not to the neighbors, as far as I can tell.<br/><br/>Whether it is Hillary's turn or Obama's turn to run the country (I'm thinking positively that it won't be another republican president), I am so hopeful that this election has helped to open a few more minds, and that the ones who will really hear are the new generations who will continue to teach love and color-blindness to the next generations. If nothing else, the ignorant email re Obama and the ensuing conversations it generated, as well as this blog and the Primaries in general, have opened up a great dialogue with my 8 year old daughter (who, by the way, also talked about it in class to 20 other 8 year olds). She has listened carefully to it all and then asked why people are racist. And asked if, in fact, her friends “of color” could be racist as well and if they could be prejudiced against her (she being white). I had to tell her that though her friends aren’t prejudiced, since their parents seem to be like me and teach love of people, not hatred of color, there are people of all colors and religions and backgrounds who are prejudiced. She wanted to know how racism and prejudice “started”. How do you explain hatred sprouting from fear and ignorance to a small little mind who doesn’t understand hatred in the first place? She wondered if I moved us to this neighborhood to teach her not to be racist. I told her I moved to this neighborhood because I loved the house, and I hoped our race and the races of our neighbors would be a non-issue. Sadly it was an issue to many (white) people I know…but not to the neighbors, as far as I can tell.

Whether it is Hillary’s turn or Obama’s turn to run the country (I’m thinking positively that it won’t be another republican president), I am so hopeful that this election has helped to open a few more minds, and that the ones who will really hear are the new generations who will continue to teach love and color-blindness to the next generations.

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