Cook County News Herald

Dealing with racism





Wynton Marsalis, in his book, Moving to Higher Ground¸ shares an important lesson he learned at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans from the realistic, but painful, approach of his literature teacher to teaching Huckleberry Finn. The teacher gave him the opportunity to opt out, but Wynton says: “I’m always glad that I stayed in that class because the book and the way Mr. Keith chose to teach it were revelatory. He dealt with it. And I have always felt that that’s what our country needs. We need to deal with all the pain and conflict and absurdity of race. Not dealing with it is like not telling somebody he has cancer because he’ll be upset. Tell him. Thenhe can choose clarity. That’s how I feel about it.”

It is tempting to act as if racism is a thing of the past and not to deal with it. Now that the most powerful person in the United States, our president, is black, is racism over? Now that the first family occupying the white house is black, can we say that racism is no longer a concern in our but everything else is the same. The white person thinks that he or she is selecting on the basis of non racial factors like experience.”

I am concerned about our children, and I applaud the efforts of the tribe at Grand Portage to start a charter school so that their children can grow up with pride in their identity and appreciation for the many gifts they have to offer to the world because of their rich heritage.

Throughout the time I have lived in Cook County, Undoing Racism workshops have been offered several times, and many have attended. Like me, many have become aware of the privilege that belongs to those of us who happened to be born white. Because of this awareness, I no longer take for granted the comfortable life that I lead, nor the opportunities that have been and continue to be mine. Undoing Racism is not an exercise in

guilt, but rather in awareness, and I am thankful

that I could grow in my own understanding.

Pizza • Sandwiches

country?

We need to face continuing pain and conflict,

Specialties

as Wynton Marsalis asserts, and work for communication

(218) 387-1713

Persons of color still experience racism every

day. The most devastating experience is through institutional racism. When power structures, such as schools, social services, law enforcement, churches, and governing bodies, are designed and and change. I hope that those who have a concern, but have not had yet attended an Undoing Racism workshop plan to participate the next time it is offered. For those who have attended, the

opportunity to meet interracially and to examine Steven Ojard

“Full Service Banking at

Two Locations” Grand Marais

387-2441

Tofte

663-7891

Pizza • Sandwiches run by persons of the dominant culture, persons (218) 834-5733 every day issues continues. Undoing Racism

Specialties P.O. Box 34

of color do not have equal opportunity.

meets monthly on the second Thursday of each Knife River, MN 55609

(218) 387-1713 • Water Wells • Water Conditioners

We may think we are treating everyone equally

month at 6:30. • Design & Installation of Water Pumping

– but are we? Or are we perpetuating a system that • Well Sealing & Abandonment

• Hydrofracking creates an internalized order of superiority/inferiority?

Bea Sorenson is a member of a group that meets Serving the North Shore from Duluth to

monthly on the second Thursday of each month at Canada since 1943

Phone (218) 387-2233

205 Wisconsin St.

Grand Marais, MN 55604 In an October 5, 2008 column in The New

York Times, Nicholas Kristof wrote: “For decades

6:30 p.m. at Chicago Bay Marketplace in Hovland. Steven Ojard

She and other group participants will periodically (218) 834-5733 experiments have shown that even many whites P.O. Box 34

provide information on Undoing Racism in our

Knife River, MN 55609 who earnestly believe in equal rights will recommend

community. To learn more, contact Bob Carter at • Water Wells • Water Conditioners hiring a white job candidate more often than • Design & Installation of Water Pumping

(218) 387-2111 or via e-mail at drydoc@boreal.org; • Well Sealing & Abandonment a person with identical credentials who is black. In

or John Morrin via e-mail jmorrin@boreal.org or • Hydrofracking

the experiments, the applicant’s folder sometimes Serving the North Shore from Duluth to

Bea Sorenson at bbsorens@boreal.org. Canada since 1943 presents the person as white, sometimes as black,


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