So many people are racist due to ignorant tribal fears and conditioning for which they would honestly deny having. People's minds are set in stone early by imprinting and conditioning -- not by facts. It's evolutionary. I know from experience that kindness is one of the most powerful tools to overcome such tribal conditioning.
I was raised by liberals (for their time) and never thought I was a racist, but I was. Spending a year at a "Black" university (Langston U. in Oklahoma) changed that. I was a poor boy who took advantage of their all-Black scholarship for Whites (ironic isn't it?).
Growing up, I often heard this statement from those who lived on the White side of the tracks, "Don't let your car break down in Langston!" (an all-Black town), which is a great example of ignorant tribal fears being perpetuated.
I admit having some trepidation when I found myself one of the only White faces in an all-Black class. Almost immediately, I found myself being treated better there than I had ever been treated at OSU. It was the beginning of my truly becoming non-racial. It seemed that everyone -- students, teachers, and families -- went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and welcome. I was invited to parties, music events, and even into people's homes for supper.
And then, I was so very fortunate to study pre-Civil War history under Ada Lois Sepuel Fisher (look her up). I realized that I had been programmed to believe Blacks were inherently inferior intellectually. I would have vehemently denied this before, but conditioning is powerful. Dr, Fisher overwrote that conditioning quite quickly.
Seeing, hearing, and experiencing the truth is far more powerful than simply believing the truth, if you know what I mean. I left with the love and respect for my Black brothers and sisters that I didn't have (but thought I did) before. I wish every White American could step into my shoes for that one year.
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