Page 7 - RACE HEALER Mag Volume 1

and corner of American white society. What we have not done is
to identify this broadly and boldly with the intent for change. We
have no plan to include the “explanation for understanding” in our
K-12 as well as in adult education to market it to the point of com-
mon sense knowledge.

Time has placed white people in prominent positions of business
ownership and management without them being aware of the sys-
temic slavery and the oppressive cultural trauma they reinforce.

I would go so far as to suggest that this failure to widely address
our being complicit in and failing to understand unconscious rac-
ism, we are retarding our growth into harmony that would yield a
more prosperous future. Until the Morris Dees and the rest of us
take sincere time to commit to introspective soul-searching and
change, our communities of castes will continue. Photo by Clem Onojeghuo

Change is not something we can direct or impose on another. It There’s no excusing us, but there is no condemning us either. There
must be accepted first as a possibility then studied and understood is no excusing Morris Dees and his enablers for not changing this,
before manifesting as self-change. The curriculum for this is un- at least, within their circles. We are not all bad people. We are not
derstanding from conversation. It is not a lecture series but is a
need for each of us to understand the source of our thoughts, mo- bad unless and until we refuse to discuss it and refuse to under-
tivations, and often hate. We then can listen to and understand the stand our participation.
truths from others.
Many, as I did, deny being complicit and justify that by saying ‘I
My authority to address this is not from my distant observations
and readings but as a fully immersed participant during those times love everyone, even all those poor black and brown people who
and these. I have brought that DNA and education of false superi- don’t know better.” OMG that is racism. That is inherent conde-
ority into these times. scension. That is default “Whiteism”.

Get to know the

author

Rusty Vaughan has lived and worked in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mary-
land, and Virginia before retiring to New Mexico. In 2012 he, by chance, encountered
a national organization, Coming to the Table (CTTT) (www.ComingToTheTable.
org). That first experience began his change to understanding his inherent racism.
Behavioral change came from the conversations they inspired. Dismantling racism
has become a passion and his most focused work. Rusty has served on the CTTT
Board of Managers for almost 5 years. He has assisted in beginning more than 6 of

the 31 local groups that use CTTT guidelines to bring people together in conversa-
tion for understanding and dismantling racism.