Commentary
we protected with all our might.
Once our customary dishonesty was
uncovered and jerked out into the
middle of the room in front of
everybody else, we found it diffi
cult to be dishonest
It was hard work, but good
work. Certainly none of the whites
in the room enjoyed being
screamed at and cursed at by a
black man with a microphone and
an accusatory tone. When they tried
to disagree with Thornton, he'd say,
"There goes that white superior atti
tude."
But he was right. And bit by
bit, we were able to admit it, in this
highly confrontational race rela
tions seminar designed by Dr.
Charles King. Dr. King'died this
past September, but his work is car
ried on by Matthew Thornton, who
trained under Dr. King for five
years, Joyce Williamson, who
worked with Dr. King for 25 years,
and associate Bea Edwards.
We are uncomfortable with
change* and we use laughter and
ignorance in defense. We laugh at
those who dare to suggest that a
woman might make a better leader
than a man: that a black could
effectively manage a white divi
sion. Laughter and joking are too
often used as tools to mask dishon
esty and prejudice.
Being part of this seminar was
hard work for everyone - but good
work. And, as Thornton reminded
us. no two-day seminar is going to
give a recipe for race relations, a
cookbook for affirmative action:
'but, if we continue to be honest, we
will find it harder to hold on to our
blindness and ignorance when
racism and sexism stares us in the
face, and what is more, we will find
it impossible to keep quiet
I am a white woman. I realize
that a lot of folks think Sheridan
Hill is a black man, but that's an
assumption based on unfounded
prejudices. I have worked at black
firms and been a racial minority for
the past three years, and there have
been a few moments when 1
thought I wasn't prejudiced. But
each time, 1 caught myself in an old
reaction, an ignorant thought pat
tern that proved me wrong. I don't
even need to name those, they are
so prevalent and so deep-rooted, we
all know what they are.
Some folks started this class
somewhat more enlightened than
others, and some merely thought'
they were more enlightened than
others. 1 hope and pray that none of
us went home Tuesday night pro
claiming ourselves as experts on
racism and sexism. The whites in
that room can consider themselves
quite privileged to be allowed to lis
ten to black people talk about what
it's like to be black: "It's-answering
your beautiful, bright little girl
when she asks, 'Mommy, why do
white people call us niggers?" . . .
It's explaining to your grandchil
dren how white people made us
slaves and sold us off one by one
.. . It's telling your niece she is a
person of worth and dignity, never
mind the fact that a white boy spat
on her at school.
The white men in that room
should consider themselves honored
to be allowed to listen to women
and blacks describe what it's like to
be excluded from decision-making,
expected and even asked to get the
coffee, not invited along on the
quasi-social outings, last hired/first
fired, not promoted, to silently
watch as your ideas are stolen, your
suggestions ignored until they are
Race relations
Continued from page A1
He is smaller in stature than the
six-foot, swarthy Dr. King, but he
makes up for it in gustiness, in
chutzpah. He has a deep respect for
the man whose shoes he now fills.
"Dr. King was a man before his
time. Twenty-five years ago he was
preaching this, and organizations
were not willing to act on it If there
ever was a man who gave his life
for the ultimate goal of helping peo
ple, it was Dr. King. Very few peo
ple are willing to make the commit
ment he did."
Leadership Winston-Salem first
brought Dr. King to Winston-Salem
for its members, and has since coor
dinated many of his seminars for
corporations who sponsor the
course here. Annette Scippio, direc
tor of Leadership Winston-Salem,
says that completing the course is a
requirement for its members.
The course has a profound
effect, particularly on white males
in their fifties and sixties, who often
wish out loud that they had taken it
twenty years ago. Matthew Thorn
ton stresses it's never too late to
make a difference, and Annette
Scippio agrees.
"The seminar we had this week
was the result of three white people
who completed the last seminar and
said, '1 am in the position to make a
^difference. I will start to make a dif
ference.' And they sponsored this
seminar. That's the most fabulous
thing that can happen, that they
truly lived up to what they learned."
Christmas message
Continued from page A1
meets the eye.
We really believe that indeed
that "one solitary life/ lived by that
one man more than 2,000 years ago
really did mean something special
to all of us ? not just to the Chris
tian folk ? but to all of us.
We really believe that love,
goodness, justice, peace, under
standing, forgiveness, kindness, per
severance, trust, generosity, grati
tude, pride, understanding, reason,
zeal, thoughtfulness, talent,
strength, stamina, spirit, sensitivity,
self-respect, self-reliance, self-con
trol, reconciliation, integrity, intel
lect, joy, morale, mutuality, opti
mism, perspective, prudence, rec
ompense, desire, endurance, ethics,
faith, /orbeararice, and forgiveness,
? love ? all of these qualities ?
are essential to truly living the
abundant life. The problem is: We
just can*t do it by ourselves.
(Smile)
And so we pause to celebrate
Christmas, realizing that why we as
individuals have not yet been totally
successful in our own efforts to
embody all of these many good
qualities ... somebody did it over
2,000 years ago! And despite our
shortcomings, we nevertheless, do
have the capacity.
Thank God for this day. It
serves as a great reminder of the
good that lies within all of us.
???Don't Forget To Take Your
Family to See An African Odyssey
? The Perfect Christmas Celebra
tion.
Hamlin
Continued from page A1
Bey, "is giving Mr. Hamlin a cer
tificate of recognition recognizing
that The Awakening Giants joins
the Winston-Salem community in
thanking the Black Repertory and
Larry Hamlin for actively promot
ing black history and culture
through the arts 365 days of the
year."
The Awakening Giants is an
organization that was founded
three years ago to promote cultur
al heritage and ethnic understand
ing between the different races. It
is a multicultural and multi-reli
gious organization with a primary
focus of bringing about harmony
and producing activities that unite
people despite their racial, cultural
and religious differences.
llAmlin cat/i that rATAtulniv
naiiiiiti ouiu tticti itttiviiig iitc
award from the organization was
an inspiration to continue serving
the artistic needs of the communi
ty.
"I'm profoundly pleased any
time those in the community rec
ognize the efforts of an organiza
tion such as the North Carolina
Black Repertory Company/ said
Hamlin. "It gives us the inspira
tion to continue to utilize the arts
as a way of helping to improve the
quality of our lives, and also to
continue to act as a keeper of the
story of our history, our heritage,
our culture and our ancestry."
affirmed by a while male.
Each of us got a dose of much
needed medicine. But let us not
think this work is over. Whites will
never know what it is like to be
black. Men will never know what it
is like to be a woman. But men
must understand that women don't
want to be like men, and whites
must realize that black people don't
want to be like white people: we
simply do what we must do to sur
vive, and white men like to be emu
lated.
If we are honest, one by one,
whites will realize that black people
can be black and make immense
contributions to the company, to
society. Men will slowly realize that
women can be both feminine and
strong, beautiful and smart, women
can be as physically unappealing as
men (beer belly, balding, thick
glasses) and still make valuable
contributions to the organization, to
the world.
What men should want for
women is not that they be secre
taries, mothers, beautiful,or charm
ing. Men should want women to be
self-actualized.
I don't want my children to be a
writer because 1 am: I want to give
them opportunities to develop a
multitude of skills and talents to
find their own path. Whites should
not expect blacks to meet white
standards: they should respect their
differences and realize that treating
everyone equally is not the same as
treating everyone fairly.
We are different, and we have
different needs. But it is our differ
ences that make us beautiful. It is
our differences that make us valu
able.
rifiit suiiiH.
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