The furore on black

感触多多。

Some of the best moments I've had in Abu Dhabi - are thru' knowing this man and his family, and the kindness and the good conversations.
I even went to Ghana with them, and got to know Sabina and Nana.


Black - this discrimination and prejudice - why?

I recalled that particular flight to Ghana - I had traveled alone, because Robert and family had gone a day earlier.
That moment when I was in the flight, un, un, un, unexpectedly, I couldn't help but feel I was that minority. I looked around, wondering if I would see any Asian, any Chinese, anyone whom I could identify with a little, and there was almost none (just 3 I saw and they were seated at the front). The whole plane was filled with Africans mostly. And for that moment, I couldn't help but wonder - why was I looking for someone I could identify with? Was it because I felt it was uncomfortable, was I not used to this environment, or was I just different, standing out as a minority? Certainly, everyone was also looking at me, probably wondering why I was on the flight? I have pondered about this before, a lot. And in Abu Dhabi, one of the sermons I've resonated with a lot is the one on racial discrimination, a very real issue, especially in different parts of the world. And the root cause is pride. Somehow over the many many years, specific races would have felt they are superior.

But, on that Ghana flight, I never felt that I was any lesser, any better. I know we could be looking so different outwardly, but, we are all the same, the same. I was just much more aware, probably first time in my life, aware and surprised that such feelings and emotions bubbled up in me, in recognizing that I was kinda different. And when I told Robert, he laughed a little. Maybe he felt I could identify a little more with issues I was so far remote from, with such an experience.

And I grew up in adoration of MJ and SP, of runners, of sportsman who are of different races and colours. And I thought they were so amazing, and so beautiful, so much finesse, so much gift. I thought MJ was powerful, and what a sight-to-behold (again, fan girl speaking).
And of course, having watched Last Dance in the last month, I was even much more in awe.
But, even then, I saw that as a human being, we all have the same struggles, same pains. MJ had a dream, he worked hard, he lost his dad, he cried, he celebrated. He needed a break, he came back stronger. He had his regrets... aren't we all the same despite the outward differences?
While MJ is probably the best-ever in basketball, he too, is like me and the rest of human kind.
Eventually, we all go back to dust anyway. So why such angst and prejudice? I must ask PT this question one day.

So perhaps in my own little way, this reflection is most real today, especially when Nana sent me a text last night. Today, I remember my friends. I do not have a lot of black friends. But today, I think about this for a bit.