Essay 859

Mary Mitchell, columnist at The Chicago Sun-Times, is launching a discussion on race on her blog. Click on the essay title above to check it out.

-------------------------------------------

WHY I TALK ABOUT RACE.

Whether you are a well-to-do white male from Lincoln Park or are a barely-making-it single mother living in subsidized housing, you are likely to hold some misguided perceptions about race and class.

How could you not?

We live in a city that is still divided by race--and class--to the point that wherever I go, someone reminds me that Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the nation. But do we talk about that? Nooooo.

That’s just odd.

Earlier this year, when Men’s Fitness magazine named Chicago the nation’s fattest city, we got on it. Fitness programs popped up everywhere. And you couldn’t go a day without reading or hearing about the latest dieting trends.

So why don’t we talk about race?

O.K. I’ll re-phrase that question. Why don't white people talk about race? Why don’t Asians talk about race? Why don’t Latinos talk about race?

Black people talk about race all the time.

We talk about it when we bemoan the state of public education. We talk about it when we complain about police brutality. We talk about it when we shop at neighborhood stores that sell loose cigarettes and single sticks of margarine.

Last month, I participated in a panel discussion of the movie “Crash” that was held at DePaul University. I was surprised that so many people turned out for the event. Other members of the panel included a black poet, black public defender, Puerto Rican lawyer, a black judge, a Latino lawyer, and a white lesbian/feminist/politician.

The audience included about a dozen white people.

Everyone seemed passionate about the racial themes depicted in the movie. But at the end of 1-1/2 hours of talking, we didn’t hear from one white person.

Not one white person asked a question. Or made a comment. Or shared a story about race relations. For all practical purposes, we were a roomful of black and Latinos talking to ourselves.

So what I want to know is this: Why is it so hard for white people to talk about race?

Black people aren’t shy about telling white people what irks them. White people shouldn’t be shy either. Besides, getting this weighty issue out in the open would not only clear the air, but may just help improve race relations in this city.

But be warned. This is my blog. While I welcome spirited debate, I’m not putting up with the disrespect. Please refrain from using racial slurs, hurling insults and posting comments that are meant to shock and offend.

Hopefully, this daily journal about race and class will be a true reflection of how we interact across racial and ethnic lines. Hopefully, our candid conversations will pave the way to some honest public dialogue on the subject.

If that happens, maybe one day we really won’t need to have this conversation.