Ready to Put Aside Bias and Bigotry and Join the Human Race?

                Woody is back, with a thought about BLM.

I don't know where to start so why not what prompted this essay.  I just finished tread-milling and as usual had music on the Portal. Today it was 50's R&R on Pandora. Keeps me occupied and away from the discomfort. 

So anyway, on comes Sam Cook singing "Working on the Chain Gang".  Whoa. Immediate memories of driving in the south in the 50's and seeing lines of black men, mostly, some chained together some not, and a few sheriffs on horses, usually, with shotguns. For a white boy from New York that sight always somehow surprised me. As did the "White Only" drinking fountains and bathrooms in Miami. But to my shame I never really spoke out about it, and then it slowly changed. 

So anyway, today I wondered about all those black men all those years ago, and I wondered what crimes they may have been guilty of. And it hit me hard: They were guilty of being born black. And that led to what ever else in their lives led them to the chain gang. And I am sure to my core that more than a few were guilty of just being black. Like the current DWB or Walking While Black or Jogging While Black. It makes me sick to think back 60+ years and realize not much has changed. Oh yes, there have been moments and people along the way who made inroads into the systemic racism I witnessed. But here it is 2020 and we have to have a BLM movement to WAKE UP WHITE PEOPLE. What a damn shame that humans are still so ignorant and bigoted. And given the current divides in the country, I sincerely wonder if there is time to institutionalize the changes that could be. I really hope so but am not sanguine. 

I can go on and on but this is probably singing to the choir so I will pack it up. Wishes don't fill bellies and hopes are not plans, but I wish and hope that the BLM wave solidifies into real lasting changes in the psyche of all of us. I can tell you this old man was well on the way years ago and am more so now. How about the rest of you? Ready to put aside bias and bigotry and join the human race as an equal member? 

Think on it. 

Link to "Chain Gang":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5lYNgCVwFo

Image: Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/resource/det.4a10700/

Life Changes Again

Well, it has been a while since my last post. Time and life moved on and now we (mostly Sally) are getting ready to downsize, again, for the final time. Bittersweet. We are happy where we are, but need to move to prepare for down the road issues that might arise, like getting older for example (with any luck).
So, we empty closets and sheds; consolidate, donate, send to children and trash artifacts of the past. No fun this. Most things, and that is all they are although things with memories clinging like English Ivy, easily fall into one of the categories for consideration. Some need much gnashing of teeth and soul seraching, but get dealt with. Some, a few, get the "let's take it and decide later" treatment.
During one closet purge, this sweatshirt surfaced, having been worn for several years then packed away.

 Notice the BIE sewn into the upper right corner? Stands for "Biology is Everything", one of two class mottos. The class was at TCC, fall 1992, APB1150, with about 100 students. A few studemts formed a study group and really got into learning.
I would start every class by writing BIE in big letters on the board and sooner or later some would ask what that meant. A discussion followed about the ubiquitous roll of biology in life. A bit later in the term I added a very large W & R to the board and it didn't take long to get the question. Here is the back of the same shirt:

Notice the large W&R? And all the signatures and messages? These are the kids from the study group. They blew me away with this gift. The other gift they gave me was the dedication to the course and the intellectual growth they experienced in the course.
They will probably never know that they impacted me as much as I did them albiet in different ways.
Moments like this add to the richness of education for all involved.  And 18 years later I am still proud of moment, and of all my students.
Thanks guys, for the memories. Especially important as we downsize and all that implies.
W&R? Why Wings and Rings of course! Natures most perfect food when paired with Beer.