Quote:
Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall
A good friendship between people of different races does not ignore the differences. Like I said, the lessons will be learned one way or another. And I'm not quite sure why you think the result of this school's approach will be burdened friendships. In fact, I'm kind of confused by your point. My best friend growing up was white. He was best man at both my weddings and we are still extremely close. He is (and we are) an anomaly in that we grew up in a very mixed race neighborhood and went to very mixed race schools. But you know who wasn't burdened in our relationship? Him. He learned many lessons and I taught him lots as well. But that was my burden. White people generally get to walk around enjoying total fucking freedom from the realities of racism. And I wasn't trying to constantly make him understand those issues. I bet he would have liked having a deeper understanding of some of that stuff earlier on.
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It wasn't really clear what the group meetings were intended to do, but I didn't read them as being focused just on educated the white kids. It seemed like there was an aspect of reminding black kids that they will have issues that white kids won't. Certainly a lesson that needs to be learned, and the white kids hearing it in the combined meetings is likely positive. But it sounded to me like it might also have an aspect of cautioning (perhaps unintentionally) black kids the white kids perhaps can't really be there for them (again, I have no idea what actually goes on in the groups). Maybe for kids from mixed race neighborhoods this is less likely, but there are also students from heavily segregated neighborhoods who might be meeting their first white friends. It just is sad that there is this wedge put between the kids.
You seem to be reading the lessons as mostly educating white kids what their black friends will confront and how they can perhaps change their own behavior to reduce the challenges? I see that as less a concern if you are right.
