I was just flipping through channels last night when I chanced upon the ABC show 'Blackish'. It's a sitcom but last night's episode tackled a serious and relevant issue in American society.
Race. And Hope.
I won't and can't get into the details of the episode since I didn't see it in its entirety. Suffice it to say that the topic was on police brutality and race discrimination, and how parents should socialize their children given this atmosphere.
Do we shelter them and protect their innocence as much as we can and keep the belief that the system still works 'most of the time'?
Or are we being better parents by teaching them the painful truth that we, as a society, are still not as evolved as we'd all like to think when it comes to accepting differences, accepting change and practicing authentic equality?
The clip below says it all. Sadly, I admit that I felt exactly the same way as Anthony Anderson's character here when he spoke about how he felt during President Obama's inauguration in 2008. I was elated, proud and most of all hopeful. But my feelings were also undeniably tainted by fear. As I watched our President on television that morning, I was secretly praying to God that he be protected, that he be allowed to serve this country safely...that he be just kept alive.
The clip below says it all. Sadly, I admit that I felt exactly the same way as Anthony Anderson's character here when he spoke about how he felt during President Obama's inauguration in 2008. I was elated, proud and most of all hopeful. But my feelings were also undeniably tainted by fear. As I watched our President on television that morning, I was secretly praying to God that he be protected, that he be allowed to serve this country safely...that he be just kept alive.
To have those prayers, to still feel that way and have that kind of fear is something I'm not proud of. But it's real. It keeps things real for me, reminding me that, in as much as I'd like to raise my child with the belief that race or skin color no longer matters, I know that's still not entirely true. When, in the subdivision where we live, I see banners or car stickers in support of a certain political candidate known for his racism and xenophobia, I ask myself how safe my son really is.
Can you really blame me if I still believe that there are far more things I still cannot take for granted in daily life than the typical white person? We're simply not there yet. I continue to hope. But I also owe it to my son to keep things real.
I hope you can take the time to watch this brief clip from 'Blackish'. #BlackishABC