There has been so much talk lately about the fake plague that is called “being politically correct”. People are actually blaming being asked to treat different people with decency on some crazy conspiracy to make everyone in the country soft. I don’t believe that’s it at all. I believe that is an extremely shallow take on a very big shift in society. Allow me to explain.

Social media has caused many conversations that were previously held behind closed doors to be raised to a level where others can see and hear. And as a result, many topics and perspectives that were previously never discussed in mixed company are now being socialized amongst new groups. For example, being a black woman, I’ve heard so many discussions in the black community that have been prevalent for years surrounding police brutality. And now the discussions (backed by video evidence, but that’s another post) are falling on new ears. This is a topic that has been talked about in black homes for decades, but may be a new concept for some. I can’t count how many times I’ve asked how someone passed away, and it was in mysterious circumstances with police involvement. There have been times when, reminiscing about a relative, I have heard people say “they got him”. I knew what that meant.

What I don’t understand is the reaction of people to automatically reject and/or dismiss other peoples’ experiences or assume they are lying or exaggerating, etc. That should not be your reaction when you are learning new information. It’s odd and actually….ignorant.

Let’s take my own enlightenment as an example. I am clearly not perfect, and I have had a lot to learn about communities that I had previously not known much about. The best example I can think of is my learning about the transgender community. As I began to learn and hear the stories of survival and suffering from people in that community, I was grateful for everything I was learning. I did not feel threatened— no one was saying their experience was worse than mine or that I had it easy. They were simply sharing. And it was my privilege as another human to hear their stories. And in my quest to not be a trash human being (which I fail on frequently, by the way), my first reaction was not to reject, deny, or belittle my fellow humans’ experiences. I listened and believed them. And tried to do better. You see, it takes nothing for me as a straight woman to get someone’s gender correct or support their right to pursue a life filled with joy and meaning. Isn’t that what we all want? I couldn’t imagine being hateful enough to actively try to impede that. Whew, chile….the ghetto.

So if you read this and you feel a little uncomfortable…remember that feeling. Take it to the next conversation you have with someone who doesn’t look/act/love/pray/live like you do. And use it to pull back when you want to judge or dismiss. We’re all out here just trying to live an abundant life. Do better by your fellow mankind. It will add to your own life.

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