Could I be that generous?

Just when you think you’ve seen major progress in society, a reality check comes from behind and snaps your head right back around. We like to think that because groups of white-robed horseman aren’t running rampant through the streets and crosses aren’t ablaze in neighborhood yards that racism and its ugly affiliations have faded into the past. Sadly, that is not the case.

Viewing snippets of life gone by, I am forced to admit, we have moved forward. Segregation is no longer accepted or in practice, racial slurs are no longer considered a part of normal conversation and affirmative action has led the way to a less hostile work environment for minorities. But hearing the experiences of others who are not part of white middleclass America, made me reconsider just how far forward we, as a society, have advanced. Further, after listening to them detail their accounts of social injustice and intolerance without even an iota of anger, I was forced to ask myself: could I be that generous toward a society such as this, if I were in their shoes?

If I was a Black man, who was regularly pulled over by authorities, maybe because of the car I drove or because of the fact that I have other Black friends with me, could I tell my story with an air of acceptance? Could I be calm and tolerant of those who still serve to oppress my rights?

Or, if I was a Black woman could I no longer just step carefree into the high-end shops in NorthPark Mall. Would security guards or sales persons shadow me throughout the duration of my shopping trip? Would I be able to simply shrug this off as just a facet of my prescribed lot in life?

Even more disturbing, if I was mixed race, would I be okay with conforming my identity to fit the clear cut black or white categories so often found on questionnaires and identity forms? Would I be accepting if the DMV chose my race for me from the two I listed, both of which composed my heritage?

The answer to all of these is, no, I don’t think I could. I don’t think I could be as generous as my fellow citizens. I can empathize with their plight, and I can hold contempt and outrage toward a society that still refuses to accept the fact that life is not about race, gender or sexual preference, rather it is about the human condition, a condition that links us all by a common thread.

Generosity is a virtue and I applaud those who apply it with such diligence, because I for one could not walk that road with such grace.