Lets Talk Race at 1:17 PM

I'm kind of at a Sociology boot camp for going onto Grad school. There's about seven of us Soc kids here and we spend a lot of time together during the week, I mean we live within a couple of inches of each other. The group is pretty racily diverse with a variety of social backgrounds. I always have been pretty open minded and equal rights oriented, no matter the group, but the last week or so has really been a great opportunity. Class is great but the conversations outside the academic setting are even better. Ebonics, the N word, covert racism, equal opportunities and movies. We can all have an opinion and argue it but nobody gets mad. We acknowledge that different ideas make the world work.

I did notice the other day, to an outside some of our conversations would sound rather bigoted and racist. We tell jokes that could be taken wrong if out of context. Walking around campus I'm sure we are a sight, a bunch of black kids, a Hispanic, and a white kid. The jokes got me thinking though. With such an obvious difference in race and heritage the humor is a way of addressing that possible barrier and tearing it down. Humor allows us to confront a possible divide and bridge it. We see the differences between us and respect them but aren't going to let them get in the way of conversation and exchange of ideas. Already I can see myself missing this atmosphere and wishing that more of the world could see race as sociologist do.

"People need to see that, far from being an obstacle, the world’s diversity of languages, religions, and traditions is a great treasure, affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others.”

—	Youssou N’Dour