Diverse City

Racial Diversity has been on my mind a lot lately. Not only because of MLK day, but also because of the past few prayer services at my church. Each Wednesday the church body gathers to pray, and the past few weeks we have been praying to see more racial diversity at our church, and also praying for the nations. During the prayer service for racial diversity I felt very sad. I know God can do great things, big things, like unite races together but most days when I'm working at the school with students of all different races it is hard to see a day when their will be no racial prejudices.

Before the prayer service, that same day at school I overheard a conversation in one of my craft classes. Most of the girls in the class were black or hispanic, and they were discussing how they liked their new classes at school. One of the Hispanic girls was saying how she doesn't like the yearbook class she is in, because she is the only hispanic girl in the class. All the other girls are white, and she already feels left out or excluded. Then the black girls agreed, and began talking about how awkward it is when you are the only black student in a class, or when you go to a restaurant and all the other guests are white, and you feel you are being stared at and don't belong. I was hearing this conversation unfold and I was caught off guard by the reality of the girls' feelings. Yes, schools are not segregated physically, but I would have to say if you walked down the halls at by school you would mostly see white kids together, hispanic kids together, and black kids together. Ideally it would be wonderful, I mean wonderful to see all the students socializing, and walking together in a mix of different races, but I have to wonder if it will ever happen. There is so much more that goes into racism than the color of skin. Many of the students at my school do not socialize because of economic status, more so than the color of skin.

I am not sure where I am going with this post, but really just to say racial injustice has been on my mind a lot lately. About 90% of the students in my after school program are of color. When I ask the white students to stay after for my program they can't because either 1) my mom is at home and wants me there or 2) I have gymnastics, then tumbling, then cheer, then Bible Study, and the list goes on. I think my after school program shows that we as a country can still feel the aches and pains of our past decisions. Why is my program filled with students of color, why are my students' families fighting to make a living, why do most of my students come from broken families? We have a long way to go, and the problem requires more than giving money to the families in need, and 'helping' the poor. It requires people, myself included, to get out of our comfort zones (economically, racially, etc.) and requires us to do life with others. Walk side by side with those who are not like us, and live life together learning and encouraging one another along the way.