In my previous post, I talked about the video I had seen with statistics stating how many times movements toward ending systemic racism have failed. After watching the videos here, it helps me to understand this even more. Seeing just how unjust society's beliefs, laws, etc have been toward people of color. Thinking that things are so much better than they were pre-60's but not really. Redlining... still going on today??? The graph showing the number of blacks incarcerated in America vs other countries is astounding and horrifying. How it's grown in just the last 10 years. I had no idea. Growing up white in lower middle class family, closed off from the world because of religious beliefs has definitely impacted my life, my views of the world. I cannot begin to imagine the impact of what people of color and the things they have endured through generations has had on them.
The idea of change is scary to me. I have to be honest about that. I know it's needed, but tearing down the foundation this country was founded on leads to what? I don't know? Conflict has always frightened me... in fact I recently signed up for a conflict management class so that I can better handle conflict, anger, etc. There is a part of me that wants to maintain the status quo... it's safe for me and it's known. But there is another greater part of me that is willing to work toward change. I'm not willing to maintain the status quo now that the blinders are coming off. I hope that as this class progresses, I will learn what I can do on a social level to facilitate and bring about real change.
