Cultural IQ

Are We Our Brother’s Keeper?

 

Years ago, I answered the front door in Memphis, TN. to find two young African American kids standing near their push lawnmower. They were going around the predominately white neighborhood asking people if they had any work for them.

As I spoke with them, I learned that they had walked a long distance from their home on a very hot day. Though they had knocked on doors for several hours, they didn’t have a single dollar to show for their grit and determination.

Like many of our neighbors, we, too, had recently cut our front lawn. After seeing the disappointment in their eyes, I understood I could not send them away emptyhanded. They were doing exactly what society asked them to do – making an effort to earn money legally.

I gave the boys $20, not a handout but rather an investment in their business. My hope was they would continue to find the encouragement needed to remain on this path to entrepreneurship.

I’ve lived in both affluent and lower working-class neighborhoods – by choice. Anyone has done so is well aware of the privilege that comes with life lived in a wealthy zip code.

When you are poor or working class, other people often look down on you, and that can harden you and deepen frustration and resentment. I often felt that societal sting when I lived in a working class neighborhood in Upper Darby.  Our broken mail boxes in our apartment complex at times were left wide open - exposing our mail, as well as private financial information. Drug dealers hung out in the stairwells. Our complex sent out a letter telling us that selling drugs was a violation of the lease. However, if we saw such encounters, we should call the police -- not them.  One day,  I called 911 to report a gunman chasing another youth - and firing shots at him.  An officer arrives 15 minutes later to pick up the bullet casings from the street. No sirens. No canvassing. I never found out what happened to that boy being chased. But if his family feels outrage, I would certainly understand why.

We are each part of the problem because we looked the other way as this situation developed. Rather than confine ourselves to donating to charities providing temporary relief and assistance, we need to take intentional actions each day that break the cycle of violence and keep youth on the right track.

When they show up unexpectedly at our front door, we have to let them into our lives. We need to be part of the solution. That may mean:

Being willing to come back into the office to help increase pedestrian traffic in hotspots. 

Helping out people in trouble. One night, I got off the subway stop at the wrong location. As I was walking home, a young man approached and told me he would walk behind me until I reached my destination. "I won't come up to where you are because I don't want to scare you," he said. I thanked him after I got home.  He replied, "I hope someone would do the same for my mother or sisters." He was my guardian that day.  Isn't it better to prevent crime rather than invest in  new jails?

Being mindful of the assumptions we make about people who don't look like us or live in our neighborhood. 

During the presidential election of 2020, my dog Gabby wore this sign in front the polling place. There had been reports that our precinct might be targeted by groups wishing to intimidate Black voters. Believe me when I say my dog did not want to stand in line with me for two hours while I voted, but she did. She provided much-needed comic relief and protection. When I went inside to vote, people waiting in line took turns watching over her.

That is what a community does - neighbors look out for each other.

 

 

Treaty Oak: The Texas Tree That Lived Because It Was Loved

As a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, I was sent to Austin to cover the Treaty Oak, a majestic, historic tree that had been poisoned by some guy trying to cast a spell.

When I arrived in town, the tree was gasping for life. Experts said the tree had received enough poison to kill 100 trees. They marveled at its strength and resilience.

People from all over the world were gathering on site to drop off get-well cards and home-made cures. Visitors huddled together and prayed under the part of the tree that was still green. (The other side of the tree had been blocked off from the public.)

Remarkably, the mighty Treaty Oak survived. The section of the tree where visitors were allowed to gather and pray, defied the odds and lived. It even produced acorns again.

The other portion - blocked off from well-wishers and human touch - died.

Never underestimate the power of prayer, human compassion and love.
Imagine if we all went out this holiday season and helped someone struggling to stay alive. Let us love our neighbors in the way we might love a magical tree.

Quick Tips for Getting Through Those Holidays

• Care about all humans on the planet, not just those who look like you.
• Learn to accept opposing viewpoints. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Both can be true at the same time.
• Take one action each day to make outsiders feel included and welcomed.
• Treat others as they wish to be treated, not as we would have them treat us.
• Surround yourself with lifelong learners, not folks who are stuck in their own views and unable to move forward.
• Always challenge your own biases and beliefs before you work on helping others with theirs. Biases are like crumbs swept under the kitchen table. People aren't going to accept housekeeping advice from you if your crumbs are distracting them.

Try These Simple Workouts to Combat Stereotypes And Biases

Years ago, an anxious European American shared a troubling story about her son. Her child lived to watch and play basketball. One day the child said to her matter-of-factly: “Mom, I can’t be a basketball player when I grow up because my skin is white.”

Since the child’s favorite players were Black, he innocently assumed that his skin color would hold him back. Girls fall into the same traps. If young women do not see female CEOs in the news or on television, then they, like their male counterparts, are likely to assume that women lack the right stuff to reach the executive level.

Children are so impressionable. They take cues from the world around them. Consider the European American teacher who recently told a sixth-grade class that President Donald Trump has made them ashamed to be a white person.

As a rule, we should never make young people feel ashamed of their skin color. Neither should we make them feel responsible for the actions taken by a member of their racial or religious group.

This rule applies to white men and women. Here’s my thinking: 

If African American children are not responsible for the actions of urban Black gangs, then white children are not responsible for acts of hate by white supremacists. 

And while we are on this topic, good police officers shouldn’t be blamed for what’s in the hearts and minds of some of their less capable fellow officers.

While we are not responsible, in each of these cases, individuals are obligated to act courageously against hate, brutality and violence. We can’t just stand by and wish it away. 

No matter who we are, the assumptions we make about our future and ourselves serve as powerful switches that will ultimately dim, or brighten, the intensity of our lives.

Young people, like the rest of us, often rely upon observations and learned beliefs to assess life potential and size-up strangers. Though it’s perfectly natural behavior, it presents some real hazards. First impressions can be easily shaped by hidden cultural, racial or gender biases.

We narrow our options each time we accept stereotypes as truth, such as: All white Americans are racists, Black Americans are all affirmative-action hires, Muslims are terrorists; and Asian Americans are all well-to-do.

When we meet someone new, cultural filters help us process data and form impressions. We look at their clothes, listen to their word choices and then, in a matter of seconds, determine whether the person is intelligent, dangerous or capable. That’s perfectly OK. Though it’s a system that works fairly well, we can’t stop there. Our assumptions about our own cultural group, and others, must be challenged if we are to make bias-free decisions. 

Once we incorporate workout routines for our minds, we will begin to see valuable results. Use the exercises below several times a day. Remember, the more often you practice, the more you stand to gain:

• Identify a speaker’s frame of reference. Before we give in to our urge to let automatic responses rule us, take a giant step back. Let’s then use the speaker’s life, not ours, as a lens. Suppose we are touring an art exhibit. The first time through we simply wander around on our own. 

Afterward, we get an audiotape that explains how the artist’s personal tragedies, culture and experiences influenced his paintings. As we tour the exhibit a second time, we get a glimpse into the hidden meanings and clearly hear the artist’s voice. Our new frame of refe
rence provides us with startling insights and new clues.

• Catalog your own cultural filters:  Each of us has social, political and cultural filters that we use to view the world. We need to catalog them and become more aware of their presence.

 Filters frame the way we view situations. Let’s all visualize a photo of a man smoking a cigarette. Smokers, especially those trying to quit, may picture the man while focusing lovingly at his cigarette. A widow who just lost a husband to lung cancer may begin to cry. 

Each of us frames situations, issues and cultural groups through our own lens. If ever we hear ourselves say, “That’s the way they are,” then that is a sign that our cultural shades are on. To adjust them, change your frame of reference.

• Give your beliefs a strenuous workout: Expose yourself to diverse sources of information and write down new ideas that make sense to you. Resolve to learn something new every day. Share with others knowledge and insights rather than personal beliefs.

Americans are gathering at a risky intersection – one in which cultural collisions are leading to a mounting death toll, distrust, anger and despair.

We are all grieving as we attempt to make sense of the police shootings of two African-American men – Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. – and the gunning down in Dallas of five white police officers by an African American.

To avoid an uncertain future, we must reflect on our own biases and find solutions that will stop the flow of blood onto American streets.

As citizens, we are divided by an information gap: Our eyes are focused in different directions, on different issues; so we don’t always see what our neighbor sees.

To the citizens standing to our right, violence in the African-American community is the underlying factor in the recent shootings by police. They suggest officers are simply good people trapped in bad situations and argue that police – alone –can’t be expected to solve all of society’s problems. Some suggest if African Americans were more respectful, police shootings would not occur.

For people on the left, implicit bias and an inequitable criminal justice system are drivers of recent tragedies. They advocate for better police training, greater diversity on the police forces and community-centric police tactics. They suggest that if police showed more commitment to carrying out their primary role of protecting and serving the public, more citizens would step up to help. With police bullets flying in their neighborhoods, they sometimes feel like collateral damage.

Each group is trying to advocate for its concerns, while ridiculing and shaming the other side for exposing its dirty laundry.

My dear neighbors on the left and on the right, we are overlooking a critical point: We need each other to find the answer. We are more effective and insightful whenever we stand and talk together. Every human being has blind spots. Only when we stand side-by-side can we truly see the unknown unknowns.

The New Tri-State Defender reported this week on a heartening event in Memphis. After a youth-led march protesting fatal police shootings shut down the I-40 bridge, Interim Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings and the protesters started talking. The next thing you know, the director – locked in arms with protesters –walked with them off the bridge. An agreement had been made to meet later for additional talks.

While the post-bridge meeting fell short of what many had hoped for, the “walk, then talk” strategy is just what we need. Having had the privilege of facilitating a few dialogs on police-community relations; I offer a sensible strategy for moving forward.

Stop the yelling and start the listening. I propose a listening exercise to kick off the conversation. Each side gets 15 minutes to speak, while the other group listens and takes notes. After the first group finishes, people in the room are free to ask questions to seek clarity. No one is allowed to challenge or debate any statements that have been made.

Then the second group presents its perspectives, and everyone listens. Same routine. At the conclusion of this dialog, every participant discusses what he or she learned (not what he or she thinks.)

Then, schedule a second meeting, a third and a fourth. When you reach the point you are as familiar with the other side’s issues as you are with your own, that’s the moment to try to imagine bold solutions.

A police director might say: “I am proposing cultural competency and conflict-resolution training and culturally appropriate hiring procedures.”

A protester might say: “I am going to help people in my community understand why officers feel disrespected and let the officers know I stand behind them.”

Benjamin Franklin, in his final speech to the Constitutional Convention said, “…when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views.”

His words apply aptly to our situation today.

It is said by some historians that Franklin was approached as he left the convention and asked what type of government was formed. He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Let it not be said that we were the generation that let the republic fade and slip away.

 

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT RACISM, PLEASE!

A few weeks ago, I had cataract surgery. Thankfully, the surgery went well, but that day in the hospital was an emotional rollercoaster. I’m still mad at my eyes for making the rest of me go through this.

You see, the Philadelphia hospital unit where I was admitted as a day patient didn’t have a large African-American clientele; most of the nurses and doctors were European American. (My ophthalmologist, however, was African American. I mention this only because I make a practice of supporting medical professionals who understand my cultural beliefs, issues and needs.)

The nurses on duty struck me as ill at ease and unsure of what to say to me. As I prepped for surgery, they asked me some highly annoying questions that made me a bit anxious: Where did you buy your handbag? Is that gel polish? How much did you pay? How much did you pay for your handbag? Where did you get that necklace? And, the most awful question of the day, “Really, you like your curly hair?”

My disappointment comes from having imagined a hospital stay where I was treated like a highly intelligent, capable human being. In my mind, healthcare workers would be attentive and busy explaining what was about to happen, and offering me assurances I was in good hands, and everything would be OK. Their chitchat about the upcoming weekend jaunts to the shore would be postponed until after I left.

I am sharing this story because the next time you visit your doctor, you might not want to hold back on telling that story about the motorist who called you the “N” word or the African American who called you a honkie.

Discrimination, it appears, can adversely affect your health. That is the conclusion reached by Rice University sociologists Jenifer Bratter and Bridget Gorman in their study, “Is Discrimination an Equal Opportunity Risk? Racial Experiences, Socio-economic Status and Health Status Among Black and White Adults.”

The authors examined data containing measures of social class, race and perceived discriminatory behavior and found that approximately 18 percent of blacks and 4 percent of whites reported higher levels of emotional upset and/or physical symptoms due to race-based treatment.

“Discriminatory behavior very well may be a ‘missing link’ in the analysis of racial and ethnic health disparities,” Bratter said. “It’s important to acknowledge and study its impact on long-term health.”

Given these findings, here are a few questions cultural learners might ask:

If communities successfully reduce discrimination, might they also bring down healthcare costs?

If companies eliminate racial, religious and gender biases, might their increase workforce wellness and boost productivity?

And, let’s say there is a Presidential candidate who makes racially-charged statements that cause hurt and turmoil, should HE be asked about the economic consequences that accompany this statement or position? Should we send him the bill?

The answer to each of these questions is yes.

Unlike most of the research on this topic, Bratter and Gorman’s study examines the health risks of discrimination among both whites and blacks, as opposed to just blacks. Their analysis was based on data from the 2004 wave of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing collaborative project between U.S. states and territories and the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This racially comparative focus is important because we examine whether discrimination is equally harmful to the health status of black and white adults – or whether experiencing discrimination is disproportionately harmful to either black or white adults,” Gorman said. “For example, since, on average, black adults typically experience more health risks in their social and personal environment than white adults (including higher poverty and lower-quality medical insurance), they may be especially vulnerable to negative health effects as a result of racial discrimination.”

Both Bratter and Gorman hope that their research will raise awareness about the impact racial discrimination has on health and wellness.

“Ultimately we hope that practitioners and researchers in the medical field recognize the dual contribution of social class and interpersonal treatment in shaping health outcomes among persons of all racial populations,” Bratter said.