i don’t know if this is the right place to begin this conversation on race, but it is a place and so will hopefully get the ball rolling and then we can see where it goes from there.
i think we would be foolish to believe that this conversation will be easy or comfortable all the way through – i am hoping we will be able to get to a place where people can be really honest [maybe in a raw and rough and edgy in-your-face kind of way] even if it does not feel good to hear and i am desperately hoping that we will really make an effort to listen. much grace and love and forgiveness and patience is going to be needed and i believe i know some really quality people who will be able to bring all of that to the table.
the place i have chosen to start this conversation [well, this is my second go at this, my first attempt a few months ago was an epic fail and so hopefully this question will go down better] is by asking the question to my friends who are not white, ‘What would you like your white friends to know/hear/be aware of?’ and i am hoping that a number of you will email me at brettfish@hotmail.com if you have something to say on this…
Sarona Reddy shares one Indian woman’s perspective on some aspects of race
Tsholofelo Mpuru speaks into the issue of white privilege and more
Hulisani Khorombi’s shares some of her story and specifically her take on the term ‘Coconut’
Siki Dlanga speaks about the idea of ‘the better black’
Tshego Motiang shares some incredible insights about the need for open communication
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[…] What I would like my white friends to hear/know/consider – i asked some friends of mine who are not white to share with us some things they’d like us to hear […]
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Thanks Brett – I have been saying for ages that we all need to learn to understand each others cultures in order for us to make this Rainbow nation work. This is a good place to start – hearing what we shouldn’t say (or think!).
Thanks Shirley, it feels like early days and surface-scratching stuff and that this conversation at some time need to get a little rawer and rougher and more uncomfortable [maybe it already is for some?] but yes we do need to begin somewhere and hopefully this is it…
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[…] to touch someone from another race’s hair’ – this might overlap with the ‘what i would love my white friends to hear’ series on my blog and i feel like it could really be helpful for us all to learn […]
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