On MLK Day, I posed this question to readers. I had some things I wanted to write in honor of the day (and life in general) but didn’t know where to start with them. So I asked you to start, and I was impressed.
I agree that there are ways in which Monroe is very diverse. Just looking out my office window as I type I see a variety of houses that probably reflect a variety of SES (socioeconomic status) levels. And that’s very true wherever I have driven, especially downtown.
In terms of people, I’m not sure.
I’m not sure about some areas of human diversity. I don’t know what religious diversity is here, or what sexual orientation diversity there is. I guess I don’t know people well enough here, so I can’t say on that level.
However, when I go out it’s rare that I see a family of color. Sometimes I walk into a restaurant and wonder if the reason everyone is watching me (or at least, it feels like everyone is watching me) is because they are wondering if there’s something different about me - in this case the difference being that I’m Latina. Might this be me being paranoid? Yes. But I can’t help but wonder when I don’t see people of a variety of races. When Oprah did the Challenge Day program here, I got about 20 phone calls from friends who saw the program. Of course I was still at work so I didn’t see it, but everyone’s comments were the same: I didn’t know Monroe was so diverse! Is it really? And I couldn’t really respond that I had experienced that kind of diversity here. When I look at school facts, Jefferson schools are over 96% white and Monroe over 86%. Obviously that’s not all that diverse in terms of racial matters.
In college I took a class I will never forget; it was possibly the most useful class I have ever taken. It was called “Unteaching Racism” and it was a truly diverse classroom just by chance. There were people who had grown up in small towns with little experience with people of other backgrounds and didn’t understand the underlying actions of racism. I have never thought so much or hard about society in my life. But I also realized how much race had impacted me as a person who is both part of a subgroup and also the dominant group. I never realized how painful it was to be constantly categorized by others as sometimes white, or other times not white enough. Most of this underlying issue came from where I grew up and what people told me - you’re not white enough, you’re just hispanic enough to not be white, Colombians deal drugs, etc. I was stereotyped, pigeon-holed, harassed, ignored, and made whiter than I am. I was accepted as white, but as a Latina I couldn’t donate blood or be in my top percent of the school. So I think about that community which is like Monroe (at least superficially) in diversity, and I think about how much of myself I lost as a result of it. I refuse to be as naive as an adult as I was as a child, and I refuse to accept this system anywhere, let alone Monroe. Will my strong attitudes and opinions get me in trouble or labeled here? Probably, as they have already done so.
I wish everyone in the world could take this class or participate in Challenge Day. (Note: if you’re interested in Challenge Day, I am planning 3 this month. Email me.) The world would never be the same.
The problem is, people aren’t always willing to think about diversity and their thoughts on it unless forced to. People aren’t always willing to challenge themselves to find new ways of thinking unless they are forced to. This means everyone is at a different level of understanding and acceptance, and while some people are moving others are stagnant. I’ve engaged several people in conversations of diversity and I’ve heard a lot of stereotypes. Do I blame these people? Sometimes, because the world isn’t going to force us to be understanding, compassionate, or accepting. The dominant culture decides what is acceptable and these values are forced upon us unless we struggle. But I also am frustrated more people don’t challenge themselves to view the world through different eyes. Do I blame Monroe? No, not really, because as sociologist Jonathan Kozol points out, Michigan is one of the most segregated states in the country (think top 5). It’s a system of choices, oppression, and status quo. Does it mean I hate Monroe and want to move? No, not exactly, although it makes me somewhat uneasy. I know not everyone is like this and there are people who are socially blind and ignorant everywhere, but some areas are less than anothers. Do I think everyone I encounter is racist? Certainly not, and even if they were I’d be willing to engage them in conversation. Most importantly, though, can we change things? A resound yes from my end.
How much do these things matter? Well, sometimes they matter a lot. I’m used to not being surrounded by people who look like me, and I’m surrounded by diversity at work. Do I want something to be done about it? Yes. Which is why I will volunteer my time at a Latino organization. Have I experienced or heard racist comments here? Certainly. But I don’t think that’s something unique to Monroe but more a certain attitude that is pervasive throughout our culture as Americans. What can we do? Well, besides getting to know one antother more and realizing our own inherent prejudices, we can do…MORE. Like MLK Day, for example. It’s beyond lighting a bridge, it’s beyond one church’s celebration. It’s everyday. It’s life in the 21st century. It’s a diverse world, even if we don’t necessarily live in a diverse town. Soooo…let’s do something about it.
And if you’re curious what I’m doing besides speaking out (because actions do speak louder than words) I make teaching acceptance and diversity a priority in my classroom. My students are currently researching Afghanistan for an upcoming novel and you can imagine the stereotypes I’m up against at times. And I plan Challenge Days, which are designed to help kids see the impact of close-mindedness and hatred at an early age.
What are you doing to help this struggle? What are you thinking after reading this? Have I said too much, gone too deep? Am I wrong? Am I right? Am I too loud, too liberal, too different? You tell me.
