None of us would likely name ourselves a racist. And in fact, no one is born a racist. Racism is something we learn. We may learn this in our families, our schools, our churches, or in the broader society. From our earliest days we learn and are influenced by our experiences in life, by the people with whom we interact, and by the society where we grow up.
Many of the ways I look at people who are different than I am may be because I learned to make assumptions about that difference I see. We may feel uncomfortable, confused, uncertain or any other number of feelings. The feelings are within me. However, if I can learn to pay attention to what is going on within me and not assume that my feelings convey the truth, then I can begin to examine the mental models of my thought processes and begin to explore the assumptions from which my thinking and conclusions emerge. Just a simple example: Let’s take colour. Why is white seem as preferable to black? Or is it? It is only a colour or non-colour, but we have learned to attach value to colour. It may as simple as “I like _____ or I do not like ______. But when this kind of thinking is attached to a human person, then I can make any number of harmful and wrong conclusions.
The point of this short blog is not to suggest that I understand or recognize the many nuances of racism but rather to invite us all to pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, and to be curious about what we discover within us to assume that we are right. If the world we live in is to become less divided, less racist, it can only start with each one of us. We are never too old or too young to try.
Addressing racism is “soul work”. For me it is summed up in the thoughts of Michael Leunig, an Australian journalist and cartoonist. He counsels us “Love one another and you will be happy. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. There is no other way.”
And so the soul within us has some wisdom to teach us. Let’s slow down to listen.
-Sister Joan Atkinson, CSJ | Office for Systemic Justice
Image: Unsplash/Ed Robertson