When was the last time you were in a room and
…no one had your skin color
…someone said you were there because you filled a quota
…everyone wore better clothes than you
…no one prayed to the same God as you
…someone said your music was dangerous
…everyone had had a different sexual experience than you
…no one wanted to sit next to you
…someone asked if they could feel your hair
…everyone just wanted you to leave.
If you’ve always been in the mainstream majority (and I, as a straight, white male, have been), then you’re fortunate. We don’t have to apologize for what we have and who we are, but we must recognize what we’ve never experienced.
We’re not obligated to walk that mile in someone else’s shoes. But when we truly treat others as we’ve been used to being treated, our lives are better.
Last night, my door bell rang. It was roughly 10:00. My next door neighbor had a plate of hot food.
“This is for you,” he said. “My wife says she loves your family.”
I’m going to tell you only one thing about those neighbors: they aren’t part of the mainstream majority.
My wife and I don’t care.
