Monday – 15 January 2007
Today is Martin Luther King Day in the U.S.
(Previous MLK Day-related posts: 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002)

I am taking the day off from work. I joked with (or “teased” or “taunted”) some of my coworkers that I was taking “I’m Black, You’re Not Day” off. I said it mostly to see their reactions; I wasn’t disappointed – it disarmed and confused them for a few moments. There was, however, more of a reason behind it than just trying to catch them off-guard: I did it to make them think.

A couple of them actually got it.

I am the sole Black employee – and one of a few (less than five, I think) non-LDS employees – in our office. There are times, I think, when some of them fail to consider the impact of being so much of a minority in an environment: Most of the employees in our office are, to quote Ben Folds: “…male, middle-class, and White.” And LDS. It’s Utah… that’s to be somewhat expected. I have been told, point-blank, that there are times when some of them don’t really think about what it means to be an “outsider.” I find this odd and somewhat amusing since many of these people – or members of their immediate families – at one time served a mission for the LDS Church, which made them a distinct minority in whichever community/state/country they served.

Do I wish to be treated differently or preferrentially because I am different? No.

Do I think that the differences between us should be swept under the rug or ignored? No.

Do I think that that we should be comfortable enough with each other to accept and appreciate the things that make us different? Yes.

To that end, I talk with my coworkers about things that I don’t understand about the local culture. Some of them, in turn, feel comfortable to ask me about things they don’t know/understand about my background. That’s a good thing; I actually enjoy that kind of dialogue. I wish that more people were able to do that.

What am I going to do with my day? I don’t know.

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. King – and many others who do not have holidays named in their honor – I am free to do whatever I choose. I can spend it in the company of friends. I can go out and enjoy the City Library. I can… just go for a drive (too cold to go for a walk or a bike ride), if I choose. If I choose to do nothing, I’m free to do that, as well.

If you have never had to worry about the freedom to do these things, why not take a moment to consider what it means to live in a country where people have had to fight for their freedoms and equality.

Be good to yourself.
Be good to others.

Namaste.