Race, racism, privilege.  Why is there so much disinformation, lack of information, lack of even a common vocabulary that can be used to discuss it, let alone talk about what to do about it. So part of the reason why is that there are all sorts of levels of understanding of color, let alone of racism. Then there are huge questions of what to do about it. Most of us are not even aware of race until we are around Kindergarten age. Afterall to a two-year-old, people are just people. After all, isn’t the family dog a person when your two. Then we become socialized. But we are socialized differently. Just as men and women are socialized into specific roles. Meanwhile, you are socialized in a society that totally favors and empowers one group of whites over blacks, etc… men over women. If you are white or a man you probably don’t even realize it. So then maybe you pierce the vale and realize it. This can happen for all kinds of reasons, but for some white people, it never happens. Then there are huge questions what do you do? If my wealth comes from a corrupt system, do I give it away? If I find that my house was stolen from another family, do I give it back? If I have my job because other people, people of color, women, etc… were never even considered for it, do I quit? When I went to college and my college did not offer opportunities to people of color or women, do I stop working in my field?

© words by Dan DeMarle 2/2020