Dinner and Some Good Conversation...

This week was really fun. On Thursday we (the interns) made dinner for the whole MTC crew and a lot of people showed up. The menu included BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, plantains, pasta salad, rolls and an assortment of Tropicana drinks (they were on sale at Krogers!). I was super nervous because I don't really cook, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many people complimented us on the food, especially the chicken made by yours truly and my lovely roommate Asia-Sierra Tanisha Millette. Overall it was a really fun night: good people, good food...what else could I ask for?

Another thing that stood out to me this week happened on the bus ride back from school on Friday. I was sitting next to Parks and Christina having a random conversation which somehow turned to the subject of using the term black or African-American to identify people and later grew into a greater discussion of systematic racism. Parks asked me how I feel about the term African-American, and I told him that I though it was an incorrect term considering the lack of African culture and influence in the lives of black Americans. I also disagree with the term because it perpetuates the idea of an "other" different from white Americans, when in fact black Americans have been here for just as long, and are just as American as whites, who are never referred to as European-Americans. Parks then agreed with me and further explained why he thought that any hyphenated categorization was racist in America.

Parks' response to my views was surprising; not because he agreed with me, but because he explained racism in a way that actually felt experiential, despite the fact that he's white. Something that I've noticed about white people in the north is that even if they recognize something as racist, its hard for them to actually relate to it, because racism is so subtle up north. Their views on racism seem more theoretical than experiential. Parks on the other hand, having grown up in the South, seemed to actually have experienced racism because of the fact that its so tangible here. I appreciated Parks' perspective because I felt like he had true conviction about what he was saying, a conviction that only comes by experiencing or witnessing racism and truly seeing how it effects people. Talking with him helped me realize that in an effort to combat racism nationwide, white southerners are the biggest allies, because they see racism everyday, unlike whites in the North who have en easier time ignoring racism.

The more time I spend here, the more I realize that stereotypes of Southerners are sometimes true but mostly just convenient. Yes, they like their guns. But they also have thoughts and views which may differ from Northerners in a good way, and their affinity for hunting shouldn't outweigh the importance of Southern perspectives. I might also add that I shot a gun for the first time yesterday, and it was actually pretty fun. I think everyone should do it at least once, just to see how it feels. At first I had my reservations about Southern culture, but I'm liking it more and more everyday, gaining an appreciation for the people and customs that exist here and really letting the South sink in.