Since I've been here, I've been part of several heavy discussions about racism both on the international scene and at a local level. This is a pic of a friend's t-shirt showing the revolutionary Rastafarian colours of red, green and gold. They speak to diversity: it's more than just black versus white.
Growing up, I never felt directly affected by any racial tensions. I was 'liming' (Dominican term for 'hanging out with') some friends about my age who told me disgusting stories about their experiences with racism, if you can believe it, during graduate school in England! Immediately, I felt ashamed to be white and part of the Western world, and felt that I should apologize on behalf of both groups. It was then that I realized that these feelings of guilt and desire for forgiveness were rooted in my self-identification as a "white", and not at all because I myself am a racist. I realized then that despite the fact that I do not view race in a hierarchy, I must abandon my identification as a white person in order to fully abolish a me versus them attitude. That night, I learned it is a matter of good versus bad, and that colours are only red, green and gold. Let's remember to keep our minds and hearts open.
(Jah is the God of the Rastafarians).
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