The color of water

¶ … Color of Water

James McBride was born of an interracial marriage between a white, Jewish mother and a Black, Christian father. Some of his negative life experiences included racism, poverty, segregation, and a substandard education. However, while he experienced many prejudices, he has also experienced many good and positive things within his life. His priorities in life included his home and family and these factors were very positive influences upon his life. While on the surface, my life seems very different than that of McBride's, I actually have more things in common with his life than some might believe.

The famous writer and musician, James McBride, tells the story of a conversation with his mother: He asks her the question, "Am I Black or White?"

She replied, "You're a human being. Educate yourself or you'll be a nobody!"

McBride's mother, Ruthie Shilsky McBride Jordan, instilled within her children two values. One was respect for education and the other was religious belief. What makes this story inspiring is that she succeeded against strong odds. They were raising her family in all-black lower-income neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, where opportunities for her children to get into major trouble abounded. An orthodox Jew born in Poland and raised in the South, Ruthie's early life included her abusive father, an itinerant rabbi who ran a grocery store where he exploited his black customers. Her mother was a caring but helpless person crippled by polio and spoke no English. McBride's mother was shunned by whites and blacks alike because she was a Jew. Ruthie understood the plight of her son and knew that education was his path to freedom.

Prejudice is also a major disadvantage for Greeks. Some people do not understand the customs or background of the Greek people and are disrespectful. It is in this way that I have also experienced discrimination. I understand that it can be a very hurtful misconception; however, McBride's mother was right in the fact that education paves the way to success. Without a proper education, people remain ignorant and intolerant of people's differences.

McBride also relates that during his adolescence, he rebelled against his mother and stepfather's authority and was involved in petty crime. However, he was still able to overcome many obstacles, earning college degrees and self-respect. McBride gives much credit for the success of their family to his mother's Orthodox background combined with his father's Christianity.

I have also rebelled in many ways. Curfews were sometimes broken and I also chose some friends that my parents didn't like. However, because my parents worked hard to instill solid values and moral into my life, I have begun to understand the reasons why they made and enforced the rules they placed upon me while I was growing up.

McBride learned to take pride in his Jewish heritage and became more empathetic to people of all kinds. McBride was quoted to say, "The lingering effects of slavery and color consciousness continue to push us in directions we shouldn't go," (Gale Group, 2002).

It is very evident within our lives that racism still exists and only tolerance along with respect for other people will overcome this characteristic of ignorance.

What I'd like people to come away with is that we have a lot more in common than we think," he told Norman Oder in Publishers Weekly.

Blades quoted McBride: "I think America is integrating itself kicking and screaming. But it's absolutely essential that we do. We can't survive any other way." I also agree. While Americans pride themselves on the diversity of the country, many are still fighting the fact that people come from various ethnic backgrounds. I believe there is a wonderful fabric that is woven from the many nationalities that create an detailed quilt which shows the various qualities of each background.

While McBride's family struggled and sought beauty within their own family, the Greeks always have seen beauty in the Greek world. Mythical stories of gods were written to be seen as perfect. Art figures are emphasized as perfect human forms. Greek mythology has always shown men to be portrayed as better than females. This has created a male-dominated society, where males were able to hold office, vote, own land, and other things; females were culturally shoved down to doing things like cook, clean, and take care of the family; females were also rarely allowed to go to school, unless they came from a wealthy family. I have overcome this obstacle by having a supportive family who knows the value of an education, much like McBride's mother conveyed throughout his life.