Being the Change : Hashing Racism Out the Hard Way, Starting with Yourself

On a May Monday morning, about forty-two strangers piled into a classroom. Some were there for an exciting learning experience. Some were there for a quick three college credit hours. What they knew consisted of "working" lunches, public speaking, and that two-thirds of daylight would be gone by the time they walked out of the building. What they did not know, however, was how forty-five hours of simple communication would change their lives forever.

Admittedly, the subject matter of an interracial communication course did not fill me with excitement and anticipation. My preconceived notions of this course were typical. I was less than thrilled with the idea of being shamed for being white. I did not want to listen to how my ancestors may have enslaved someone else's ancestors. Really, what I did want was the hours for the class and a good grade.

I did not consider how this class could be a positive influence on how I choose to live my life. I was very caught up in what I "knew" everyone else was going to think, and I created an illusory reality to fit my prejudices. These prejudices, preconceived notions, and my closed minded attitude towards the subject of interracial communication had never come to my attention before the class. I realized that, while my prejudiced beliefs were not of an inferiority issue, they were still of a discriminatory nature. In my mind, a class that encouraged the discussion of such a sensitive subject was bound to fall into the mindset of political correctness and past persecution.

Fortunately, after only one day of listening, I began to see a distinct problem with my theories. What I heard from people of all colors was not what I expected. While there was definite recognition of a problem, never was there a finger pointed at me-just because I am white. Never was the consensus of the class one that made me feel as though I should be ashamed of my heritage. What my eyes were opened to was the vast similarity among the students in the group and more importantly, the power we had within ourselves to make a difference in our society.