As per usual, Dave, an eloquent essay that’s as thought-provoking as it is relevant for these times. Growing up in the ‘60’s, I saw firsthand the beauty of affirming others based on who they were as fellow humans, not identified by color or nationality. Somewhere along the way, however, society has lost that perspective—and it’s a damned shame. I do see hope, however. Having dated Hispanic and Black men myself back then, only to see this country become overly sensitive about race these past 50 years, I am now thrilled to see the enduring love between my son and his wife—further proof that love sees no color, only another resonant heart. Like you, it’s been wonderful to mesh two families with more in common than different. Fingers crossed, perhaps our nation can all find seats at that Round Table you enjoyed.
Excellent thoughts, and I'm sharing with friends. My two boys are blended; doesn't seem to bother anyone or limit them in any way at all. Probably because they are nice kids, now adults, and proved themselves along the way. They didn't ride some perceived gravy train to get into school or gain special employment, they just do what anyone raised properly would likely do, get along with friends and family, and not be dependent upon anyone when finally being on their own. They played no "I'm Special" card. That makes them strong. Short story long, I agree with you that far too many people try to pidgeon-hole people into categories. Your text supports that belief, so thanks from someone who thinks the same way.
So much to love in this post. Yes, I hope with you for the full realization of MLK Jr.'s vision in his most famous speech -- that race would no longer divide us in any way. And yes, I agree with you that race is a manmade construct; Benjamin Franklin railed against the contamination of American culture by "swarthy Germans and Italians." (I am not making this up.) And I absolutely agree with you that we are becoming a country that is increasingly "mixed-race." Hispanics (which is technically an ethnic, not a racial category) born in the US are about 35% intermarried at this point. I have been frustrated on multiple occasions by how difficult it is for people in various contexts to face this and take it into account. I also deeply share the frustration that the progress that I have seen in my lifetime towards racial justice is so often ignored or downplayed in public dialogue. I have had the privilege in my life of having a small role in progress towards social justice and it's neither respectful nor hopeful to not recognize all that we have accomplished together. All of that being said, I think that there are still important legacies of oppression in various areas, including race, that are embodied in policies, practices, tendencies and assumptions that require ongoing work to counteract. I also think that the oppression which might impact the most people most profoundly at this point in history is economic. There is a juggernaut of international economic consolidation of power and wealth that is not healthy for us nationally or globally and will require all our combined ingenuity to change. In all these cases, I believe that the best strategy is to be as accurate and thoughtful as possible -- to approach it all with clear-sighted and thorough investigation, creative innovation, dialogue among people with different perspectives and gifts, and the wisdom of the serenity prayer. It's slow and careful work that doesn't lend itself to sound bites or involve a lot of standing on bridges (although public demonstration is a tool that has its place.) Partisanship only gets in the way of this work. Eloquent essays like Dave's are helpful.
Another wonderfully crafted article Dave. Very objective, informative and with some idealistic and hopeful goals for the future.
I loved the inclusion of the Altadena Round Table. Sounds like it was a wonderful experience with more diversity represented perhaps than in government. When I say that I am thinking more that a house painter was conversing with a news-director.
Race isn't that significant if your representatives are mostly lawyers who went to the biggest and best universities in the country. They all seem the same on the inside.
In Michigan politics, a fellow by the name of Bill Lukas ran for governor in the 90’s. He was black. I liked him a lot. However, it unnerved me to see him talk up the “First black governor in Michigan” narrative. There was a deep sense that he was astute, intelligent, articulate, … all the things we look for in ANY candidate. But someone convinced him he should run to make history and be the first black governor. He lost. Since then, my opinion of people who run to be the first ANYTHING is that they’re making a mistake. They all should run on being the best candidate for the position and nothing else.
You mention, "We may never be color-blind, but we can surely become color-indifferent."
How could that ever happen?--Democrats talk of nothing else but skin color. Dr. King's hope of being judged on merit rather than skin color has sadly become a pipe dream.
I just enabled Substack notifications on my iPhone. I only just got the most recent call for
feedback from a Substack email. I’ve been wondering where you’ve been. Hopefully the Substack app will only let me know when you post something and not a bunch of other stuff. Thanks for asking about my 2 cents. I’ll see what I can do. Nate
It is good to hear from you again. Seeing your name in my yahoo inbox (I'm older) made me think of how much I missed your even handed insights to an increasingly polarized political landscape. Your comments were off for your Reset column so I opened Substack and began reading. It was like a good coffee or my John Prine Playlist, welcome, familiar, and insightful.
It is frustrating not to be heard. It can be a forlone feeling wondering if your thoughts are resonating off the soundboard of other people or disappearing unheaded in the ether. I can relate. In my profession we are told what our problem is and what we will do about it. "Do about it" amounts to obey the dictates of our grants, keep state funding by not disciplining students, and avoid litigation. Between our treatment by admin and students many teachers feel like box store employees that stop getting paid at 3 o'clock, but work anyway.
One thing I have learned, amid the frustration, is that what we do now is seldom for now. Our words and thoughts do inspire others. I just wish they would do so on a more immediate time table. Oh well. It is good to see you again Dave. Keep writing, keep picking, keep singing. People are listening.
What was Trump thinking? The moderator stated that "Some ... have labeled ...VP Harris .... a DEI hire, is that acceptable to you?"
Too bad he didn't pull a Reagan and calmly reply that he didn't want to make race an issue like his opponent's former boss did when he labeled Candidate Harris as a DEI hire 4 years ago.
As per usual, Dave, an eloquent essay that’s as thought-provoking as it is relevant for these times. Growing up in the ‘60’s, I saw firsthand the beauty of affirming others based on who they were as fellow humans, not identified by color or nationality. Somewhere along the way, however, society has lost that perspective—and it’s a damned shame. I do see hope, however. Having dated Hispanic and Black men myself back then, only to see this country become overly sensitive about race these past 50 years, I am now thrilled to see the enduring love between my son and his wife—further proof that love sees no color, only another resonant heart. Like you, it’s been wonderful to mesh two families with more in common than different. Fingers crossed, perhaps our nation can all find seats at that Round Table you enjoyed.
Excellent thoughts, and I'm sharing with friends. My two boys are blended; doesn't seem to bother anyone or limit them in any way at all. Probably because they are nice kids, now adults, and proved themselves along the way. They didn't ride some perceived gravy train to get into school or gain special employment, they just do what anyone raised properly would likely do, get along with friends and family, and not be dependent upon anyone when finally being on their own. They played no "I'm Special" card. That makes them strong. Short story long, I agree with you that far too many people try to pidgeon-hole people into categories. Your text supports that belief, so thanks from someone who thinks the same way.
So much to love in this post. Yes, I hope with you for the full realization of MLK Jr.'s vision in his most famous speech -- that race would no longer divide us in any way. And yes, I agree with you that race is a manmade construct; Benjamin Franklin railed against the contamination of American culture by "swarthy Germans and Italians." (I am not making this up.) And I absolutely agree with you that we are becoming a country that is increasingly "mixed-race." Hispanics (which is technically an ethnic, not a racial category) born in the US are about 35% intermarried at this point. I have been frustrated on multiple occasions by how difficult it is for people in various contexts to face this and take it into account. I also deeply share the frustration that the progress that I have seen in my lifetime towards racial justice is so often ignored or downplayed in public dialogue. I have had the privilege in my life of having a small role in progress towards social justice and it's neither respectful nor hopeful to not recognize all that we have accomplished together. All of that being said, I think that there are still important legacies of oppression in various areas, including race, that are embodied in policies, practices, tendencies and assumptions that require ongoing work to counteract. I also think that the oppression which might impact the most people most profoundly at this point in history is economic. There is a juggernaut of international economic consolidation of power and wealth that is not healthy for us nationally or globally and will require all our combined ingenuity to change. In all these cases, I believe that the best strategy is to be as accurate and thoughtful as possible -- to approach it all with clear-sighted and thorough investigation, creative innovation, dialogue among people with different perspectives and gifts, and the wisdom of the serenity prayer. It's slow and careful work that doesn't lend itself to sound bites or involve a lot of standing on bridges (although public demonstration is a tool that has its place.) Partisanship only gets in the way of this work. Eloquent essays like Dave's are helpful.
Another wonderfully crafted article Dave. Very objective, informative and with some idealistic and hopeful goals for the future.
I loved the inclusion of the Altadena Round Table. Sounds like it was a wonderful experience with more diversity represented perhaps than in government. When I say that I am thinking more that a house painter was conversing with a news-director.
Race isn't that significant if your representatives are mostly lawyers who went to the biggest and best universities in the country. They all seem the same on the inside.
Thanks Josh. I like the way your mind works.
In Michigan politics, a fellow by the name of Bill Lukas ran for governor in the 90’s. He was black. I liked him a lot. However, it unnerved me to see him talk up the “First black governor in Michigan” narrative. There was a deep sense that he was astute, intelligent, articulate, … all the things we look for in ANY candidate. But someone convinced him he should run to make history and be the first black governor. He lost. Since then, my opinion of people who run to be the first ANYTHING is that they’re making a mistake. They all should run on being the best candidate for the position and nothing else.
Hi Dave,
You mention, "We may never be color-blind, but we can surely become color-indifferent."
How could that ever happen?--Democrats talk of nothing else but skin color. Dr. King's hope of being judged on merit rather than skin color has sadly become a pipe dream.
Or we can work toward it.
Couldn't agree more. I hope I have and will live like it.
I just enabled Substack notifications on my iPhone. I only just got the most recent call for
feedback from a Substack email. I’ve been wondering where you’ve been. Hopefully the Substack app will only let me know when you post something and not a bunch of other stuff. Thanks for asking about my 2 cents. I’ll see what I can do. Nate
Dave,
It is good to hear from you again. Seeing your name in my yahoo inbox (I'm older) made me think of how much I missed your even handed insights to an increasingly polarized political landscape. Your comments were off for your Reset column so I opened Substack and began reading. It was like a good coffee or my John Prine Playlist, welcome, familiar, and insightful.
It is frustrating not to be heard. It can be a forlone feeling wondering if your thoughts are resonating off the soundboard of other people or disappearing unheaded in the ether. I can relate. In my profession we are told what our problem is and what we will do about it. "Do about it" amounts to obey the dictates of our grants, keep state funding by not disciplining students, and avoid litigation. Between our treatment by admin and students many teachers feel like box store employees that stop getting paid at 3 o'clock, but work anyway.
One thing I have learned, amid the frustration, is that what we do now is seldom for now. Our words and thoughts do inspire others. I just wish they would do so on a more immediate time table. Oh well. It is good to see you again Dave. Keep writing, keep picking, keep singing. People are listening.
What was Trump thinking? The moderator stated that "Some ... have labeled ...VP Harris .... a DEI hire, is that acceptable to you?"
Too bad he didn't pull a Reagan and calmly reply that he didn't want to make race an issue like his opponent's former boss did when he labeled Candidate Harris as a DEI hire 4 years ago.