I am 61 years ol, grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and never experienced racisim. I wasn't taught it, I just never knew about it. I learned about it when I married a militarty man and lived all over the place. When I learned that a friend of mine from Florida would not get on a bus if the driver was black, it made me laugh. I have never heard of anything so ridiculous. Then my black neighbors told me what they had gone thorough when growing up, couldn't try on clothes they wanted to buy, etc. I was mad. I know my mind, and If I had been born black and lived in their area I would be dead. Now I am a very proud and happy gramma of a black grandson and he considers himswelf black. I try to teach him all I can about his history, try to keep him from going into the gangs (white or black or hispanic, asian). I want him to carry himself with pride, be smart, make the right choices and tell him how it is. He has a great sense of humor, manners, and he does not even think about "what" his friends are. I see lots of people looking at him then looking at me and I know it is because he is so handsome, how could it possibly be anything else?
Children live what they learn.
