Susan Atkinson.
I grew up in a small town in the mountains of Virginia. I did not think much about race. I never questioned why most of the black people I knew grew up in “Maupin Town” or on “the hill”, two small parts of town that were predominately if not entirely homes for black people. I never knew why mom said we shouldn’t visit our friends there. I did not know why there were the remains of two public pools on different sides of town and two public high schools. My parents never explained that to me. Both sets of grandparents grew up either limited means or edging toward middle class. I heard both grandmothers say some variation of the “N-word” at various times during my youth. No one around me was outraged by it or suggested they should not use that word. So I grew up not knowing how offensive it was.
I still am shocked and amazed at what I wasn’t taught growing up, but also what I’ve learned since childhood about systemic racism. I am trying to have those conversations with my kids so they will know more and move towards understanding and abolishing those situations where people feel limited by the color of the skin or other such attributes.
