Black, White, and....Purple?

I wanted to take a moment out of my life to document a few thoughts. This last Monday was MLK day. I love MLK, in fact ever since college when my neighbor/good friend Nick played MLK's 'I have a dream' speech loud throughout the halls I have made it a tradition. I know, I never have traditions ;) Anywho, back to my point. I am a white guy, so my perspectives are white. I have no idea what it is like to have dark skin in this world. However, I do know what it's like to be on a bus or in a school room and be the ONLY one with your skin color. I was in Tanzania and being white made my life easy at times and extremely hard at times. To be honest, I can't stand being in a white world all the time. So much of my life is white, that I make some effort in diversifying it. Because one can easily stick to their own race. I'm using the word 'race' also to stop confusion, but be advised it is a made up thing. There's nothing different between the genetic make up of Michael Jordan and me (minus the much more athletic gene). Did you know in all the African languages (opposed to the ones with Western influence) there is not a word for race? There are over hundreds of languages and NOT ONE of them has a word for race. It's something we created.

Also, I've talked to people about how I realize also that being white gets me things in life. It gets me having to pull over less often, it gets me 'free to roam about' the store without a tail, it gets me several things that I'm not even aware of. In the US today being white is easier. So much easier. We have come a long way, but so much further to go. Also, the next time someone jokes about Black History Month being the shortest, you can tell them its because Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass' birthdays lie in that month, that is why it was chosen. 'Without struggle there can be no progress.' Wait, I digressed.

I wanted to say I love living in Harlem. I'm constantly one of few white people around. I feel 1)it makes you aware that there are divides in this country and 2)I need to live in a place that is upbeat and keeps me on my toes. Its quite funny. Here in New York you could walk 10 blocks and be in a totally different neighborhood. The racial lines are so apparent on the subway it drives me crazy. When I am with someone who is visiting or new I tell them I like to play the game off the 456 (subway lines) called 'watch all the white people get off'. 86th street stop is the last stop of the Upper East Side (one of the wealthiest places to live in...the world). It's crazy watching, they (white people) all exit. Then they look at me.....96rd comes and goes....103rd comes and goes and then finally 11oth comes and I get off, before they looked at me like I was lost or thinking 'does this guy know where he's going?' Indeed I do. Harlem is the shit, our neighborhood rocks, with apparently cheaper pizza than the Bronx. Well I need to pee and I think this is enough so the moral of the story is: race is made up and get over it.

Actually I'm not done. I also want to type about how everyone is racist. Not one of us are 'judgefree' or see gray. I think saying you see 'gray' is being ignorant and ignoring the social distinctions that are apparent and do exist in our society. But I feel that if everyone comes to the table and realizes race relations exist and you're aware that being one 'race' gets you more things or doesn't get you things then, only then can you move past it. (I believe anyway, also it's a bit hard to relay my thoughts only on text-much easier to discuss this in person- feel free to call me out on something).