Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man Pt: 1

While I don't believe in race, I recognize that many, maybe most, do. I taught my kids it does not exist and have been arguing that point for almost 6 decades with family, friends and acquaintances. I fully recognize that my life, no matter how difficult, is not the same as that that others have experienced. That while my heart races when the police stop me, once for no reason, I have never feared for my life. We have experienced some things as we have eaten together in a restaurant where we got some stares from almost the entire establishment, I never thought it was about me. My son has far more direct knowledge than I do. At Disney World when a couple of ignorant people made comments about my daughter-in-law and also when they went to the Mall Of America when the Dr. (my daughter-in-law) made a reservation. When my son and daughter-in-law showed up at the hotel, the reservation not only disappeared, they had no rooms available that were fully furnished. The next morning my son went to the desk to check out and made a comment about being so busy that they were full. The person working the desk that morning said they were not full and rooms were available. My insignificance has led me to believe I had to make my contribution one person at a time. I would teach my kids there is no such thing as race, all people are the same inside. We made choices that demonstrated our belief to them in a number of ways both with our family and at work. I look at what has happened over my lifetime and wonder if I took the right course, if it wasn't too easy. I still believe race doesn't exist, I know discrimination does. There have always been haters, there always will be. We cannot change how people think, we have an obligation to change how they act.

High time we start talking about the elephant in the room. Though I don't know you, sir, from reading your posts I feel you are one that could help me understand the plight without the discussion devolving.