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A young college student went to a themed party and now her life is changed forever. Is Rachael a racist because she went to themed party for beliefs she doesn’t even share? Am I racist because growing up my brother and I had countless Dukes of Hazzard Toys and Cars? The answer to both, is clearly no. In todays cancel culture world we are living in, it puts everyone on high alert of their behaviors and their thoughts.
I’m going to share a story about my friend Mike. I have several African American friends, but none closer to me than Mike. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for this guy and I would trust him around my own children alone if I had to leave them with him alone for hours if not days. He is that good of a person. With Mike, I’m color blind, he is Mike. Not black Mike, not brown Mike, not colored Mike, just Mike.
With that being said, let’s flashback to May of last year during the BLM protests that turned into riots. That first Saturday following the death of George Floyd when everything broke loose, I just happened to be out with my family on a picnic and watching trains.
It was nice to be with them outside and getting away from everything going on. After the meal, I took a walk up and down a few side streets to burn some calories. People were out in their yards mowing their lawns, planting flowers and various other things. Not a single person gave me a second look. No one walked back in their home in fear, none of it. But what if Mike took that same walk?
It felt so great to get that walk in, until it didn’t. It was that same day in that moment that it hit me, could Mike take this same walk in this neighborhood? The freedom I felt that day, he has gone his entire life without. That is a flawed society, that is the world we live in and no matter how we feel personally, that is the way it goes and it’s wrong. There’s no excuse for that line of thinking. None.
I know Mike, if he was to walk into my room as a kid and see those Dukes of Hazzard Toys, he wouldn’t have cared. It’s not like I a had a confederate flag on my wall, or in my yard. Sadly, however, none of that matters to the general public, so quick to judge.
Can you imagine right now if I did an interview from home on television and people saw a Dukes of Hazzard Car near me? Or if they saw the box set of Dukes of Hazzard DVD on a shelve behind where I was sitting? I would be judged instantly, no questions asked. That too is wrong, and needs to change!
There is such a thing as white guilt, something Rachael is now living with and will for the rest of her life. Because others with her skin tone committed vile acts over 250 years ago, Rachel and her family now have to pay the price, despite having nothing to do with it.
Pardon the pun, but there is no “black and white” when it comes to this example of racism. Like many things in this world, a lot of it comes down to interpretation. Rachael couldn’t care less that Matt James was African American. She was genuine, she was a good person and she was falling in love with this man.
She was not a bad person, but a person who wanted to go to a party with her friends like 99% of college kids do. It doesn’t matter now, does it? A 30 second decision, will now shape the next 30 years of her life.
In a season with the first Black Bachelor, it couldn’t have gone any worse. His father is shown as a cheat who ruined lives in his path including the white skinned mother of James. Why did they decide to show that? The man was in one scene, and fulfilled every harmful stereotype out there about black men running away from being fathers.
The Bachelor then sends home every other African American on the show and chooses a white woman who ends up having a checkered past. The normal host, also white skinned, has to leave the show after sticking up for Rachael, but in the process, is crucified and his days may be numbered in Hollywood. The Bachelor sends her home after the show, and they both end up miserable. EVERYONE comes off looking bad in this mess.
Ironically, the only person who walks away from this unmarked is the runner up, Michelle. She will now be the next Bachelorette after Katie. For all intensive purposes, she should have won in the first place. I will say that both Michelle and Katie deserve a second chance as they came across as being real, and there for the right reasons.
This season left a trail of wreckage in its path. But at the end of the day, did it open your eyes? Did it make you think? If so, then it did its job as this season was never about finding true love. Was it? When it comes to Hollywood, and especially “reality tv”, it’s all scripted……..
The bottom line, yes we need to erase racism and become aware of it and our actions. At the same time, we need to make, “white guilt” a thing of the past as well. Lead by example, live in the moment and set the “tone” for the next 20 generations.
I’m Vince McKee, and those are my thoughts.
