"People of good conscience need to stand and speak in defense of those who are not able to stand and speak for themselves. Denying racism exists comes from a place of privilege. There are different Americas, black, white and otherwise and we should not become individuals who are oblivious to the experiences of others simply because they are not our own. We have abolished slavery in our nation but still remain slaves to ourselves. This modern-day bondage causes us to become submissive to our own minds and captivates our hearts from reaching their full potential of understanding, empathy and compassion simply because we cannot look beyond our own experiences and acknowledge the experiences of others. Take the time to interact, build relationships, and learn from those who are different from you. When you see any type of injustice, take steps to remedy it. And at the very least, take a moment every day to reflect on your own biases and stereotypes. We all have them and need to start breaking them down so that we can in turn break down the barriers that separate us as nation on a whole." - Imam Khalid Latif (Executive Director and Chaplain, Islamic Center at NYU)
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 06:32:43 +0000
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