My Views On Race

There was a documentary on television yesterday called "Meeting David Wilson", in which a black man in his late twenties named David Wilson sought out a white man in his early sixties named David Wilson. Young David had tracked his lineage to slaves on a plantation in North Carolina owned by the ancestors of old David, and this documentary chronicled their meeting and subsequent conversations and interactions which focused mainly on how the effects of slavery are still influencing people in the United States. It was interesting to watch, but the message did not end there.

Following the airing of the documentary, in which the the awkward moments at the beginning evolved into open and comfortable conversations toward the end, MSNBC made a failed attempt at continuing the topic by forming a panel of people who talked about race in this country and their views on how to change things. While I definitely think that racism still exists, I disagree with several of the "solutions" offered by the panel.

Some said that switching the focus from athletics to academics by offering better resources, especially to black youth in inner-city schools, will change things. While that may work in some cases, throwing money at this won't fix the problem. Many black youth turn away from school to sports and the streets not because they don't have computers or libraries, but because they're not being supported.

Others said that a lack of a father figure in many black homes drives young black men into a life of crime and cited that one in three black boys will spend some time in jail. I do think that many children raised in single-parent households have a more difficult time learning and growing relative to two-parent households, but I'm not sure that there is an outsider's solution.

One person said that this conversation has been taking place for a long time inside black America, but that it hasn't happened on a national level. I'm not really sure which level he would put the civil rights movement if not national. Plus, I don't think that suggesting having a national conversation about race will change anything because the people who need to take part are the same people who will resist.

Another person noted, to the sound of boisterous applause, that those who question why there isn't a White History Month don't realize that they are every month not designated as Black History Month. This seems to me to be nothing more than a purposefully provocative statement. I agree that the history lessons in elementary and high school should not shy away from black history, but anything more should be reserved for those who are interested in it. Consequently, I think that Black History Month is unnecessary.

Certainly it is possible that a national conversation or an outpouring of money will improve the situation of black people in the United States, but I think that the perception of black people can be better served without requiring such drastic measures. For example:
- having parents take a more active role in the education of their children
- accepting the fact that some people are bigots and not letting their views affect you
- improving self confidence and community involvement by getting involved in organizations like church groups or Scouts

These are three of the many ways that black kids and families, indeed any kids and families, can directly and personally enhance the development of America's youth and help save them from a broken future too many people already assume is their destiny.