Spirit-People_Of

What do you think and feel when you hear the phrase "people of color" ? Besides your thoughts and emotions, how does your body feel when you hear or say these words ? Is your energy and spirit around these words inclusive or exclusive ? Is there an emotional charge of fear or concern or pride ? Do you consider white to be a color ?

I would expect that some of you are wondering why I would speak in this format about race and racism. Some may wonder why I would believe it has anything to do with wellness or spirituality.

As I've written before speaking of spirituality is always an awkward process. I feel this is because words are a very finite medium to speak of that which by its nature is infinite. Yet, in our lives, I have found that words are the colors and hues by which we paint and express our reality. As any painter knows, it is essential to frequently step back from your work and take in the "big picture". To gain perspective by viewing the piece in the way in which it will be viewed by others. Similarly, I know that it helps us gain perspective by stepping back from the words we typically use without thinking and examine them in a different light.

Aristotle is quoted as saying, "Expressed is impressed". I've always believed that this reminds us of a basic spiritual principle. Which is, that which we invest energy in is manifest. Simply this means our actions will follow the lead and path of our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, values, and words. It follows that our reactions, beliefs, and behaviors around race and color affect our bodies, minds, and spirits on all levels. If we live in fear and a spirit of exclusion, it can not but affect our immune systems and our very cellular growth.

When we use the words "people of color" what exactly are we saying ? Are we describing people who are not white or Caucasian as "people of color" ? Are we describing a physical appearance of how light strikes their skin and is reflected into our eyes ? Or, are we trying to define people as being from a culture or ancestry other than European ? What is our motivation in defining or judging whether people are white or not ? Is it to celebrate the rich diversity in which the Universe's has been created ? Or, do we separate out and define some people as being different as a way exclusion in order to cope with our own personal fears and angers ?

1. Skin color is not an indication of racial or national origin. People simply come in lots of different shades. The fact that we tan should give us an indication of how easily skin pigment changes. It may help to realize that even in those countries of Europe which so intensely maintain that they are "white", that there is a variation of color from the North to South. Northern Germans, Italians, and Spaniards generally have lighter hair and skin than Southern Germans, Italians and Spaniards. This would suggest that the rich color of Africa has always had it's influence on the shades of Europe.

2. Most anthropological findings of the earliest human remains indicate that humans began in Africa and migrated throughout the rest of world. So, in this sense no matter what color you are, your ancestry is African.

3. The majority of the world is not white. Why do we continue to marginalize people by calling them "minorities" ? Why would we continue to believe that being white is in someway special and exclusive and deny that Creation seems to want us to be a rainbow of variety ?

4. As a child, I was raised to be proud of being of full blooded German, Aryan ancestry. The light side of pride can be an addition to self esteem. While the dark side of that pride contributed to the killing of more than six million during World War II. Ethnic purity is bred out of fear, delusion and frequently involves "marrying your cousins".

Racism is not just a concept. It is not just a matter of whether we use the right "politically correct" and "culturally sensitive" words. It is, I feel a set of beliefs and rationalizations which we act out as behaviors. Racism describes a way of life which places more emphasis on a person's particular color of skin or ancestral blood line than what is in a person's heart. It is a challenge to each of us to choose whether we will live our lives judging others by their looks or respond to the true spirit others offer no matter how different or similar they are from ourselves. Challenging and examining racism is I feel an essential process of wellness. A view to consider is that whites in our culture have obviously been taught the role of oppressing just as people of color have been taught the role being oppressed. This is part of our historical legacy. But neither of these roles are predestined. The important awareness that we can hold is that racism enslaves us all. We can blindly continue to follow the dangerous paths of ethnic exclusion, discrimination and undervaluing of specific groups of people. Or we can foster an awareness which challenges us to new prosperity of accepting the richness of all people's spirit and invites a life with less fear and violence and more equality and interaction.

I invite you, no matter what shade of the color spectrum you are, to open your heart and consider that spiritually, we are all "people of color". It will be necessary to risk seeing, feeling and acting in true relationship with other people rather than falsely comforting and isolating ourselves with preconceived notions and stereotypes. We will also live more authentically, enjoying the rich gifts of our diversity. Respect in joy !