Carol Salami-Goswick
Eugene, OR
I’m a white woman who was born, raised, and lived in CA until I was 54. I was in college during the 60’s and was sympathetic to the black folks struggling for equality in the South. In my 30’s I had a serious relationship with a black man. I worked in an ethnically diverse social services environment and thought I was pretty much a non-racist until I moved to Macon, GA where the population is almost 50-50 white-black. The experience was jarring and I was compelled to question my perceptions of myself as being prejudice free as I struggled to comprehend the deep racial bitterness and divide and its impact on my new community. I am happy to report that during the 11 years that I lived there, the community had started a conversation on race issues and that I had a chance to work closely and develop friendships with black people in the community before I moved to Oregon.
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