Freedom Writing

Everyone expects the minority in the room to speak about minorities. We are expected to fully understand who we are to guide and send others in their own journeys, the problem with this expectation is that all of us are in a journey. We ought to acknowledge that people of color are not the assigned voices to speak about diversity although in many circumstances, they are the ones having to speak up. This inability to speak of our society’s reality perpetuates ignorance in our classrooms, in our communities, and most importantly in the place of worship.

Hartz puts it in the best of words: “Our diversity is what makes us stronger. We need this diversity to fully flourish to our greatest potential.” Whites as well as purple, brown, and green, are all invited to the table. We must embrace the fullness of our communities to move forward into a full picture of diversity.

Erin White exemplified it when she spoke about the significance of keeping each other accountable to be 100% who we are made to be, and by being you then you extend the right and the freedom for me to be fully myself. But, it is important to understand that it all begins in our own journey.

My journey is only parallel to yours. I must not devalue yours; I hope you value mine.

Lately, I have noticed a sort of discontent in the community I form part of, by experiencing the renouncing of our diversity to avoid conflicting thoughts amongst those around us. Groups of friends believe to know each other, to have each other’s back, but it only applies when we are seen as equal. We want to profess we know what that means when we have and continue to be part of the systematic oppression that exists within our own communities. I seek to find parallels within our journeys and not to devalue your experiences or outshine your struggle with mine. I keep hearing is not just about color, its not just about race, but I stop myself from walking into a store without money because I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

I hear my peers say, “You continue to be loud about the same thing, but nothing will change until you understand that what you are fighting against does not exist.” I feel them say I must quit making such a loud noise about race, when racism does not longer exist. Their words cut. When my logic just doesn’t match theirs, it’s not the fact that I am stupid, in fact it means that I have decades of catching up to your beautiful upbringing.

Northcentral has opened my eyes. I have seen and once you have seen you cannot un-see. Cultural competency does not mean to be fully aware of someone else’s culture, but it puts equal importance to being aware of our own culture. It is important that we cultivate cultural competency that we seek it and we nurture it to change the trajectory of our people, our communities, and our churches and schools.

And how exactly do we do this? We must start with ourselves. Identify the characteristics that make you, the values, the biases, and work toward the development of expansion within your world and those around you. It is not about independence is about interdependence, when you realize I am fully me when I depend on you we will reach and enrich our diversity.

Most people know that I was born in Mexico, Guess that makes me a Mexican;Most people know that lived in Texas, Guess that made me a Texan.They know that I enjoy helping others,That I am proud of who I am because of where I come from.

See, most people love the fact that I love variety that I love diversity, But most aren’t aware of the fact that I am a dreamer. That makes them uncomfortable!

They aren’t aware of what makes me a Dreamer, either.

What makes me a dreamer is not the ability to exercise my desire to imagine fantasies, “To reach for the stars.” To dream beyond the sky. Beyond adversity as the description that fits most of my colleagues.

What makes me a Dreamer is the fact that I came to the United States when I was an adolescent, what makes me a Dreamer in this country is the fact that I was not born in this land, thus affecting every decision, every future adventure I ever wish to endure.

What makes me a Dreamer makes me one of the 800 thousand, those individuals that fear their hard work might be erased by a decision in a political chamber.

People say I am Mexican because I was born in Mexico, I am a Texan because I lived in Texas. Yet don’t see me as an American citizen by the government definition.

Being a dreamer doesn’t carry any luxury, but I am proud to tell ya’ I redefine the denotation every day of my existence in this beautiful nation.

My prayer for you is to become a generation of dreamers! May you learn to redefine the labels others have placed on you and blow them off the water to re-write your destination.

Is Colorblindness the new Racism?

Growing up the color of my skin was never a topic of discussion, I never heard any message from my parents or leaders that lead me to believe that the skin color I had had anything to do with how successful or how well I would do in school.

My color of skin simply meant that I looked darker and way more burnt when exposed to the sun during the summer. Mind you, I looked like the majority where I grew up, but those with “darker” skin or considered “different” were also looked as the unique minority. To me, being different was a luxury. Those with lighter skin color, or darker, were privileged in my eyes. Oh how I wished to be “different,” so much so that I would stay out in the summer a little longer seeking that difference.

After moving to Dallas, Texas, experiencing being different, and forming part of the minority groups, my dream came true… I became the minority. I was easily characterized as an outsider, to the cost of my blindness, I recognized the feeling of non- belonging in a whole new level. I grew up acknowledging differences as beauties and uniqueness, not as a detriment and definitely not as an inferiority factor.

In some ways I grew up colorblind, this colorblindness saw people for who they were, individuals with different characteristics. But, my colorblindness did not mean the same in my new home. While I craved to be unique and set apart, my peers sought exactly the opposite- to fit in. To pass by unnoticed. I didn’t understand, and I am still trying to reconcile with that reaction.

People have asked me now, how to deal with this touchy topic, how to expose kids to it from an accepting and loving way without creating an unhealthy emotion toward diversity?

In previous years, I would have pointed them to a colorblind approach. As I continue to reconcile and internalize what this means in my life, I no longer accept this ideal. Especially now that I have understood that for some people avoiding to see my differences means that they refuse to see the richness that I can bring. That others can bring. It is with a broken heart that I acknowledge that many of my differences are the ones that keep me from crossing bridges of communication, those same differences put me in boxes. And ultimately keep me bonded and attached to whatever descriptions people that do not know me have of those that look like me.

Although I could personally admit that not seeing my differences has been part of my seeing of racism, I also believe there is a wonderful ability to grow as a community and to develop cultural competence in one another by talking about these issues.

My advice for parents and organizations is to find ways to struggle through the colorblindness as much as we seek to destroy biases in our culture. This intentional exercise will create awareness of our own perspectives and an acceptance of others. It will be significant and hurtful at times, but will ignite a different side of the same coin. I don’t have the answers, even as a I am hoping to continue to be challenged in the classroom and in every aspect of my life. Those in authority, we, have the responsibility to share our learning with the next generations and so we must learn now!

We are each other’s keepers, community, and teachers.

May we find the way to acknowledge each other’s struggles and strengths. May we became aware that we are individuals and that we have way more in common than what we truly allow ourselves to admit.

My last reward would be to encourage individuals to engage in their own journey of discovery before addressing anyone else’s. It is important we all meet in the middle. It is crucial we have these struggles and that we acknowledge those before us before we move forward.

To be a window you must be willing to embrace who you are 100%

These days I keep remembering that to be a window I must be willing to remove all the stickers and strikes from the crystal on order to provide those that are willing to look in with an authentic picture of who I am which is a high price to pay when you have things to hide and confessions to make.

The promise I give is to speak from personal experiences and to be genuine and authentic when sharing the writing that brings freedom to my opinions and struggles.

I hope to have answers to some of the questions in which you seek understanding, but for now, I want to welcome you and hope to learn from you as well.

Blessings,

Yannin