When the musical South Pacific came out in 1949, it caused quite the controversy. Rogers and Hammerstein were encouraged to leave out the song You've Got to be Carefully Taught, because it was seen as a song that justified interracial relationships and was far to risque. However, the pair persisted and South Pacific was and is still a major hit.
Yet, I still feel like hate is taught. I spent my evening learning about the small African country of Burundi this evening. It was interesting, insightful, and fun. I was invited to come up and dance, and felt like quite the fool with my chubby 5 foot nothing frame and my Scandinavian lack of dance heritage, but no one cared. They just welcomed us all up with them and draped beautiful fabric around us while we danced.
One woman told of how she was kicked out of a country because she was from Burundi, and living in the country where her husband was from. When her husband died, leaving her and her small children, she was told that she must leave. Eventually after many years she ended up in the United States.
Yet, even here, she has to face the fear and prejudice of others. People who will judge her for her skin or her clothing or her educational level or her accent. "You've got to be taught to hate and fear. It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear. You've got to be carefully taught."
What is additionally scary is how we find other ways to hate. We hate a person who is too fat. We hate a person who is too skinny. We hate a woman who works. We hate a woman who stays home. We hate the ugly, the disabled, anyone who might be labeled different in any way. We hate in the name of religion. It is tragic.
Tonight I danced with people I probably have nothing, and yet everything in common with. I have no reason to hate or fear or judge them. I know that I have judged in the past. I know I continue to judge. I hope to remember when I slip into that judgement, I hope to remember the time that I danced with the women from Burundi.
Yet, I still feel like hate is taught. I spent my evening learning about the small African country of Burundi this evening. It was interesting, insightful, and fun. I was invited to come up and dance, and felt like quite the fool with my chubby 5 foot nothing frame and my Scandinavian lack of dance heritage, but no one cared. They just welcomed us all up with them and draped beautiful fabric around us while we danced.
One woman told of how she was kicked out of a country because she was from Burundi, and living in the country where her husband was from. When her husband died, leaving her and her small children, she was told that she must leave. Eventually after many years she ended up in the United States.
Yet, even here, she has to face the fear and prejudice of others. People who will judge her for her skin or her clothing or her educational level or her accent. "You've got to be taught to hate and fear. It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear. You've got to be carefully taught."
What is additionally scary is how we find other ways to hate. We hate a person who is too fat. We hate a person who is too skinny. We hate a woman who works. We hate a woman who stays home. We hate the ugly, the disabled, anyone who might be labeled different in any way. We hate in the name of religion. It is tragic.
Tonight I danced with people I probably have nothing, and yet everything in common with. I have no reason to hate or fear or judge them. I know that I have judged in the past. I know I continue to judge. I hope to remember when I slip into that judgement, I hope to remember the time that I danced with the women from Burundi.
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