Sometimes you have to leave people with no response. They cannot handle the wisdom you shared. Save your strength for those who can handle and honor your wisdom. T. Lanette Pollard
Hey, hope all is well. It took awhile to write this post. I took a lot of time to think about my words. When you see examples of blatant racial bias and others do not, you have to let the emotions settle before you speak on the topic. Now I am ready.
So, the day after the Superbowl was just as interesting on social media as it was leading up to the game. Why? Well, everyone had their opinion about how a losing quarterback should act. (Guess a lot of people were speaking from experience.) My Facebook (FB) news feed was filled with discussions about Cam Newton’s actions after the game. Some of these discussions were in posts from my social media friends and pages that I follow.
This is the point where I am going to be blunt. The same racism that flowed through the media reports about Newton was alive and well on FB. The posts from some of my social media friends were truly eye-opening. Forget the fact that other quarterbacks (Dan Marino and Peyton Manning) have walked off the field without congratulating the other team or attending press conferences. Newton’s actions were different. Hmmm…
People are quick to say that our cries of racism are unnecessary. What they fail to realize is the impact of racial bias in our social media and the message it sends. Some are even willing to shut down any conversation about bias.
They will try to convince you that your interpretation is wrong. They will say you are too sensitive. When that does not work, they will try to apologize if they offended you. (In this case, I was not offended; I just offered another point of view to the conversation.) Then comes the “agree to disagree” moment you could have reached earlier in the conversation.
Back to my quote. I came to the conclusion above, my bit of wisdom, after a lengthy private FB response to my public discussion. I realized it was not about having a discussion. It was about the other person trying to convince themselves they were not racist. (I never said that person’s statements were racist.) That was their bridge to cross, their journey.
My responses did not and would not change anything. That is the moment I realized I should have stopped responding. My silence might have sent a stronger message. The fact that I did respond shows the level of respect I had for that person. I still have that respect. I just know now that they are not ready for my wisdom.
BovaryCee 
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