Reflection during Black History Month

Dear editor,

Fortunately, at a very young age I was emphatically told by my mother (who’s of Eastern European heritage) about the exceptionally kind and caring nature of our Black family doctor. She never had anything disdainful to say about people of colour; in fact she loves to watch and listen to the Middle Eastern and Indian subcontinental dancers and musicians on the multicultural channels.

Conversely, if she’d told me the opposite about the doctor, I could’ve aged while blindly linking his colour with an unjustly cynical view of him and all Black people.

Therefore, essentially by chance, I reached adulthood unstricken by uncontrolled feelings of racial contempt seeking expression.

Not as lucky, some people — who may now be in an armed authority capacity — were raised with a distrust or blind dislike of other racial groups.

Regardless, the first step towards changing our irrationally-biased thinking is our awareness of it and its origin.

But until then, ugly sentiments need to be either suppressed or professionally dealt with, especially when considering the mentality is easily inflamed by anger.