I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent

Shelby Steel's writing I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent? Was not one of my favorite reads. It seems that Steel is too close to this issue to be objective. The writing would have been more effective if it was written more like a scholarly work and not as a narrative. Steel's constant use of phrases like "I think" and "I believe" detract from the work and constantly remind us that it is based mostly in Steel's opinions and personal experiences. While these would be powerful in a different format, they weren't here. Race is a complicated issue that has existed forever. In my travels I have noticed drastically different opinions of race and different levels of racism based on geographical locations. I lived in southern Georgia on and off for 6 years during my military career. Georgia was a shock to the system after growing up in St. George. I think there were probably 20 kids out of 350, I'm guessing, who were a race other than white, and race was never an issue. When I moved to Georgia at age 17 I learned that race is still a big issue in some places. It is not just limited to the United States however. As Americans we tend to look at our "American" society and discount others. I have been to 27 countries and some are as "racist" as can be and in some countries I didn't see any evidence of racism. We also tend to think of racism in the US as White, African American, Hispanic etc. There are countless races across the globe and many discriminate against others. It is not just an American phenomenon or problem. The prevalence of racism throughout the globe for as far back as history is recorded suggests that race is a complicated issue, and one not easily explained or solved. The United States has made great progress in treating all people fairly with regard to race. I think as a country we have arrived at equality, and in some cases have maybe overcompensated. Sadly small pockets of our society however, continue to harbor racism, and I believe they always will to some extent.