K Russell,
Chattanooga, TN.

As a little white kid growing up, I was constantly harassed by black boys for no other reason than I was white- and small enough not to be a threat (I only weighed 89 lbs by eighth grade.) Luckily I had a great friend that was also black that saved me from quite a few bathroom poundings. I was told once in high school I would be killed by the end of the week. Two days later, as my dad was reading the paper, I saw my would-be assailant’s mugshot. Luckily, he got to someone else before me. I had a gun pulled on me in the hall one day, then the guy told me he was just kidding and walked off. My wife (who did not go to the same school) was molested by young black boys during middle school as she developed faster than other girls.

There is a paradigm in a very prominent subculture of the black community that says white people are bad simply because of the color of our skin. Whether it is stated outright or not, kids pick up on their parents’ sentiments and go to battle in schools across the country. Those of us faced with this model pushed on to young black kids growing up had it harder than most overcoming racism. Often, if not given ample opportunity to overcome it, unfortunately, many give in to the nonsense.

Until this paradigm is admitted and stopped in young kids, racism on both sides will only increase in an ugly and incredibly vicious cycle. With the strong and inciting rhetoric in the media today, I can only imagine the hatred being played out in elementary, middle and high schools today on both sides.

Neither I, nor my wife ever told our parents of the threats and harassment we received. Maybe we bought into the idea we were receiving what we deserved.