Black and White
Having a black teaching assistant for over 20 years (see my previous post), enriched my knowledge and appreciation for the African American culture. I am a better person for having spent all of these years with such an extraordinary friend.
Experiencing this beautiful world that God created is a colorful journey for me. But growing up... I drank from a different water fountain than black children and used a different bathroom from black children. I never touched a black child, sat by a black child, or even talked to a black child... until I was a freshman in high school. Even then, there were less than 10 black children in my entire high school, so my exposure was limited. That was the color of my world until 1966. I thank God that things changed or I would never have experienced the colorful world that was opened to me, through the eyes of my dear black friend. I don't see things in black and white... and that is a blessing indeed!
(I plan to create several posts about the extraordinary experiences of working with this dear black lady, so please come back for more in the days to come. I felt this was an appropriate way to honor her birthday which was on February 6th and to celebrate Black History Month.)
posted by Nancy @ 9:23 PM
12 Comments:
I never went to school with anyone of color - ever. Unbelievable. And my son went to Africa and married a Kenyan!
I will definitely pray for the little girls - please pray for ours, too, as the neighbor young lady (a nurse!) allowed her daughter to come and play with Care Bear - she told CB she had strep throat, and hadn't gotten the medicine the doctor prescribed. CB didn't feel good today - and of course has been with the teeny tiny twins!
Dawn~ You really did have a sheltered childhood but thankfully our world is now in living color, including your precious family.
Your twins are on my daily prayer list but now my prayers can be more specific. Blessings to you my friend!
I understand this post!! We never had any people of color in our small town in Illinois. When i was a Senior we had our first foreign exchange student. I saw how she was being snubbed so i decided this was not going to work. I made great friends with her and now we are still friends after all of these years. She is from the Philippines. The kids would ask me if she rubbed off on me..how stupid!! I now have several good black friends and I would not trade that for anything. Sandy
Awesome post, Nancy.
Even though I'm just a little younger, having been born in'63, my world was also very white in grade school.
So glad that attitudes are changing and we can see the colorful world around us...and that, deep down, everyone is really so much the same!
I think that is a wonderful way to honor your friend in celebration of her birthday and black history month. I look forward to reading your posts about her. :)
Sandy~ Thanks for sharing your awesome story about your friend the exchange student. It took a lot of courage on your part and what a blessing it was for her.
Tammy~ You are so right- it's what's on the inside that counts and that is a blessing indeed!
Chris~ You have already demonstrated your nonprejudice attitude through your adoption from compassionate friends and that is a blessing to all involved. I appreciate your stopping by to find out more about my colorful and delightful friend.
Hi, Nancy - I know I've had your e-mail address, but can't locate it right now. Can you shoot me an e-mail and I'll send the address back? Thanks so much for your care and concern!
Sema still blogs very occasionally. Did you see the one she wrote about being an aunt to twins? That was so special. She hasn't done one since then, though.
Here in western Canada, I didn't know anyone of a different race or colour throughout school. But now, due to immigration, there are so many who have come from Asia - both India and China - that they seem to outnumber the caucasians. But we have very few blacks here.
Dawn~ I sent an email for you. Thanks for letting me know about Sema's blog update. I hadn't checked. I will head that way as soon as I finish here.
Leslie~ Thanks for sharing information from Canada. I find it so interesting to read about the places my blogging friends live. Such variety!!!
Hi Nancy,
Sorry I haven't been able to visit much, but I enjoyed this post and the comments. Here in the SF Bay Area, we are truly a melting pot of races. In our town, we have a huge Filipino, African American, and Spanish population. White is not the majority. Our daughter's 4th grade class is more than 50% non English speaking...
Great post.
xo
Nancy, what an interesting post. I grew up on Vancouver Island with First Nations people, and it was that way with them during school as well. It breaks my heart now to think about it, because they are such beautiful, kind, gentle people. Thank God the world is becoming more educated.
Nancy,
Great post.
I'm up late reading some of my "favorites" for the first time in weeks.
I wanted to thank you for your encouragement during the past difficult weeks in my life. I am still amazed by this whole blogging thing and how it connects otherwise disconnected people. It has been an unexpected blessing.
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