What living in America taught me about racism

It has been a very sad few days here in America. But unfortunately it is not something new. The violent and unfair killing of more African- Americans has made this inflamed wound to finally burst. How much more can people stand? How much more can we all be blind, ignorance, and avoiding this huge problem of stepping over the human rights of our fellow citizens. I felt the need to share.

You know, I will be totally honest. As a young white woman, that grew in predominantly white country of Greece, I had nothing to teach me what racism is, like I had for bulling even back in the '80s, where I was against and had supported kids for having to deal with this action. Of course I knew about slavery, but I thought this was something of the past, that people had overcome and grew out of it. There weren't different cultures around me that I had to learn about or understand. So I was never consider myself or others racists. And then one day there was trouble in our neighbor Albania, and people from there had to escape poverty, and seek help in Greece. And then and there, suddenly Greeks came across the racist self. Calling these people for everything bad was going on in Greece. Thankfully, my father and my family did the opposite. My father gave jobs to these people and became friend. He was seeing hard working people that wanted to provide for their families. And that was my first glimpse of how you respond in racism. You give a solution, you help, you support. And since then I loved and respected the differences of people, the colorful sense that different cultures bring. I was so open and ready.

Life after my marriage took me for the first time outside of Greece. Navigating myself in unknown territories, I realized, when I finally became a mother, that our differences with other cultures and races were so small in comparison with our similarities, Especially when it comes to moms and what they want for the kids. My Belgian friends, wanted the same with my Muslim friends in Oxford, with the moms from Africa or Asia who lived in Baltimore and my friends from The Netherlands. We all wanted a safe future for our kids, where they can grow being happy and making dreams. We all wanted to protect our kids from bulling or racism that some had to face sometimes, because they were from different cultures, religious, had different skin color and were speaking a different language. All of these mothers would do anything for their kids. 

Although i was aware of all these issues and the severity racism and bulling have in peoples lives, it was my move in US that taught me the most. Baltimore, Maryland, where i live close by, is one of the 4 cities in the USA with the biggest population of African-Americans. My "introduction" to this new place came from the daily news. And it wasn't a good one. Constant violence, crime, daily shootings, and lost lives. Day, after day....And 99% was from the African-American community. I felt overwhelmed, I felt fear, I start questioning my anti-racist past, I couldn't let this change me. There must be an explanation. I had to learn, educate myself. 

Unfortunately I didn't have any African- American friends to give me insights, until I met 2 beautiful families at my sons school and their whole being taught me so many positive things and how much alike we are! Plus an amazing mixed race family that we are good friends now. 

The inequality and the suppression towards the African-American  is so profound. These people, many descendances of relatives that were slaves, want what everyone wants. Education, opportunities, a safe home, a steady income, feeling like humans. Things that you would thing are a fact, because most likely you, we grew up with this privileges. 

Well here in US are not a fact. The Black community has to face so many injustices, and poverty because of that. They have to fight 10 times more so to concord anything in their lives. And the society around stays muted, stays inactive, like a bystander. Only small conservative acts of support here and there. Supporting more and inflating more the already huge problem. The administrations , the governments, the police forces, all the white race. Absent. Just looking, avoiding, and judging. 

What are the options that this people sometimes left with? It is what the psychologists would say "If you praise and strengthen the qualities of the kids they will probably thrive and become whole people, but if you daily diminish them, categorized them and calling them "names", they will probably prove you right..." These people are like this kids that had a whole society against them. Calling them names, planning and determine in a way their future. Making them feel that they are starting their lives with the worst percentages of acquiring success in their lives. When you have to play the survival game every day, when you feel you don't fit in a society, when you have to prove yourself every single day. It gets in to you, it hurts and it is makes you angry.

We cannot ignore the elephant in the room anymore. We, the white people cannot let these people loose the ride of the journey called life, because some authorities or sick minds wants them to be left behind. Because some people have to feel uncomfortable by getting in the others person's shoes. 

We are all humans, it runs blood in our vain, and our hearts beats the same. We need to hear, act and get educate for the people sitting, and living next to us. We need to respect and love. No other mom have to see the unfair and racist death of her kid because of its color, race, or religion. Enough. 

Lets pave a new road as a society, where people are not left behind, but are holding hands side by side.