In 1970, James Baldwin wrote a letter to Angela Davis in which he said, “What has happened, it seems to me, and to put it far too simply, is that a whole new generation of people have assessed and absorbed their history, and, in that tremendous action, have freed themselves of it and will never be victims again.”

 Aloha gentle readers and welcome to the latest episode of Random Acts of Living!
 So the above sentence by James Baldwin caught my attention because well I am wondering if really it is true? If we understand our history on a micro and macro level can we free ourselves of it?   isn't it really when our past shames us that it holds power over us?? 
This week's episode is another talk story session with my dad when he was in the hospital and as it turns out he really likes being on my blog.. that is what he calls the podcast.. So we delved into a subject that may be difficult for most of us  I know it has been hard for me ..   
I am impressed that my dad through his research into the KKK in Iowa in the 1960s ( actually is still quite active in the area even today- which will no doubt be another podcast episode) finds out about my grandfather's past affiliation with the KKK pre-WWII.
Maybe after WWII, after his nephew was killed by the Nazi's,  fighting in the Dutch Resistance maybe my grandfather,  a Dutch immigrant himself, had a  reckoning about white supremacy,   and saw that buying into racism maybe had some clear economic fears that were preyed on upon by those who had the most to lose and wanted my grandfather to tow that white supremacist line.. he still hat he did,  to me what is more important is what my father decided to do, the choices he made helped to create my world view and that of my son for which I am grateful.
I am also grateful to hear his compassion and how as he calls out what is wrong he continues to embrace my grandfather for all his flaws and to this act of radical compassion even as he moves his family to be raised in a much more diverse environment is amazing to me and gives me hope. if we can all access that in ourselves and for others, maybe just maybe we will be able to shift this paradigm on a systemic level..

 I recently read an article by Nicolas Kristoff about Daryl Davis, 63,  a Black musician with an unusual calling: He hangs out with Ku Klux Klan members and neo-Nazis and chips away at their racism.  He essentially used his curiosity around racism to forge friendships. with KKK members, and through these friendships he is able to reach people and help them change.

“Daryl Davis demonstrates that talking face-to-face with your ideological opponents can motivate them to rethink their views,” said Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “He’s an extraordinary example of what psychologists have repeatedly shown with evidence: In over 500 studies, interacting face-to-face with an out-group reduced prejudice 94 percent of the time.
“You won’t get through to people until you’ve earned their trust,” Grant added. “You’re not likely to earn their trust until you’ve met them face-to-face and listened to their stories.”
Read the entire article here!
So if we can have the conversations and tell our stories and walk into this very messy and uncomfortable world with our truly curious hearts and mind and with an understanding about what that shadow side is of humanity and how it works, tell our stories,  take the power away from them and show them the light of day.. yeah maybe we can change the world..  gentle listener it is worth trying right, what have we got to lose??
Thank-you for