Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Dear #Ferguson Kids

This is an open letter to the kids that made this video. 


Dear #Ferguson Kids,

 "White People" is not a group. It may be hard for you to understand, but just because we have similar colored skin does not mean we all think the same or act the same or believe the same things. 

I know you kids (the ones that made this video) may have been taught that all white people are racists, but that is simply not true. 

Yes, there are some people who look at people and judge them by the color of their skin, and that is unfortunate and wrong. Racism does exist, and you are right to point out that we need to address it. 

Some racists are white and some are black and some are Asians or Latinos. Anyone who judges by skin color or ethnicity is doing something wrong. Nobody has any control over who their parents are or where they are born or whether they are tall or short or black or brown or white. 

We should not judge people by things they have no control over, and that includes the name your parents gave you as well. Dr. King was right when he pointed out that we should judge people by the content of their character. 

If you steal or cheat or lie or vandalize then that says something about the content of your character. So does working hard and studying and helping your Mom and Dad around the house. 

We should not judge someone's character until we know them well enough to know who they really are inside. But we cannot avoid getting and giving first impressions. 

Job interviews are a place where we usually want to make a good first impression and so we do certain things to leave a positive image of ourselves. We show up a little early and comb our hair and smile and try to be pleasant. 

If we are angry or drunk or dirty or can't speak without cursing then people will come away with a bad impression. This is true regardless of our skin color or name or where we live. 

When an officer or teacher or employer approaches you he will begin to get impressions, whether positive or negative. He will use all of his senses, from what he sees and hears to what he smells. Just like in a job interview or a first date there is limited time to make an assessment. 

Skin color should not be part of that evaluation. To do so is wrong. And some people do still evaluate people that way. That is sad and needs to be changed. 

When you say on your video, "Hey White People", it makes me sad. I wish you would not evaluate me by the color of my skin. You don't even know me. "White People" is not a meaningful group any more than "Black People" is. 

I have some ideas for how to fix some of the real problems that may exist with the courts and law enforcement in Ferguson and elsewhere. I think there is some real injustice that needs to be addressed. 

I will share those ideas but I hope in the meantime you have a talk with your parents about your choice of words. I am not the same as every other white person. Like you, I am unique. Like you, I want to be judged by the content of my character and not lumped in with everyone else that happens to have the same skin pigment. 

Let's work together to fix both racism and injustice, but let's start with you and me. Hi, my name is Jeff. It is nice to meet you. 

No comments:

Post a Comment