As a teenager, I used to wonder, “What does this world want from ppl my hue of human?” After being a part of forced school desegregation, I literally refused to leave an all-white school when we were told we could go back to our black school & we shld leave after the first year.

I refused (as did my siblings) because I knew by then at age 15, there was something very wrong with the racism & separateness that had stalked my entire life. I committed then and there to be a part of what I hoped would be a “coming together.”

I have worked at this elusive unity almost my entire life. To even call attention to racism, racists acts or policies with racist effects so often result in “You’re calling me a racist.” Which I fear is designed to shut down the conversation. To make even a conversation go away.

How is it we refuse to face up to the social, economic and power-driven disease of racism? Yeah, it takes work. It takes commitment. Nevertheless, I am confounded the beauty and the power of who we all are together escapes anyone. Don’t you like rainbows?