Friday, July 25, 2008

Letter to AC360 Blog by Lynn Whitfield's Daughter Grace Gibson

see http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/25/i-am-neither-black-nor-white-im-both/
for full text .

Her words are moving, her intent is good, but I know many who will jump at the chance to tell her she is wrong. My opinion, of course, (since I am the father of two biracial children), is that she is right. I know there are many who feel that racial identity is important, so important to some, that they look down on those who mix the races as some kind of evil dilution. It is a good foundation for self esteem to have a strong positive view and connection to one's heritage. Those that prefer no mixing would say that it becomes to cumbersome and you lose flavor when you are mixed. There is no connection, they worry that their race will disappear. Well, it will. The day may come when the lines and features and tones that so easily allow us to be segregated into little boxes of black, white, other, etc. will disappear forever. No one will be able to trace their heritage to one race or one place. The human race will be the racial preference. How then will discrimination take place? How will police then decide who to stop and frisk? How will the HR representative choose which job applicant to hire? Who will get the 'black' scholarship, who will benefit (or be denied) based on affirmative action? Who will give great moving speeches on the state of race relations in America....No one will and everyone will. The sooner the things that separate us are no longer visible, the better. Likewise, learn your heritage, all of it. The black and the white. The Asian and the Indian. Embrace both, all three or all four of the cultures which embody your bloodstream. THEN use that connection to enhance the race we all belong to. The Human Race.

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