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In reply to the discussion: Quick Question... Why should black people love white people? [View all]BlueSky3
(509 posts)I don't think there's any reason for black people to love white people. I think the young black woman's comments come from a place of deep pain, and anyone who's felt a lot of it can feel for/with her. Like you, bravenak, I hope she can grow past it for her sake, so the suffering doesn't ruin any happiness she may have.
Years ago I was traveling through a small southern town with my kids who had been fighting non stop in the back seat. We made a pit stop at a convenience store and a man behind the counter saw my face as I went by. When we got up to the counter he said, "honey, don't let the Devil steal your joy."
That was a real wake-up call for me. He was black, I am white, but he reached out to me in compassion and shared this truth. I saw him again on a later trip and found out he was a part-time preacher at a local church.
I've spent a lot of time letting the devil steal my joy from the sexism I've experienced as a woman. I still do, whenever I read about some of the atrocities that are daily going on in the world and the blind hate so many men feel for women. It doesn't keep me from loving my husband and the good men in my life.
Like a lot of other people have said on this thread, hate is corrosive. I feel for the woman you wrote about. Here is my only idea about what to do: have empathy for others, respect others, and whatever race you are, let people of other races know you love them. One person at a time, one day at a time, that's all most of us can do.