Racial Tension? In South Dakota?!?

I read this post on Shaun King’s blog this morning.  I used to be pretty oblivious to racial tension and hurt in South Dakota.  I suppose that was before I married my Native American princess and adopted two Native girls.  Shaun’s story of abuse, receiving the apology from one of his abusers, and return letter of apology is a beautiful picture of grace and forgiveness.

This all hits very close to home when racism affects your family directly.  My wife hears way too many negative, sweeping comments directed at her culture all the time.  She many times tells me about it with tears in her eyes.  My daughters have been labeled and mistreated at their schools simply because of the color of their skin.  When I found out initially, I was outraged.  When we went to the principal about it, their reaction was seemingly indifferent.  Even I, as a white-boy college student in South Dallas’ neighborhood, had food thrown at me while eating at a fast food restaurant because of the color of my skin.  How humiliating…  I can’t even fathom what it must be like for minorities who deal with that kind of racism (and worse) every day of their lives.

Here’s hoping for more open communication, for healing between cultures, and for reconciliation instead of name-calling, blind labeling, and bigoted trash talking.  Sigh… we can do better than this.  Can’t we?

ht Jason