Dear Governor Abbott,
I am a military spouse and educator in Texas. I wanted to applaud you on your initiatives for making Texas stronger and safer. While looking through your initiatives, I did not notice any specific initiatives to address racial inequality in this great state. As an observer of the racial environment, I have personally noticed a few issues that I perceive to be worthy of addressing. I believe that racial inequality can be decreased in Texas through meaningful discourse, community training, and leadership example.
It helps to make sure we all understand not only what racial inequality is, but how to recognize it and most importantly what to do about it. Based on personal observations and listening to fellow citizens of all races, it boils down to a significantly unfair bias in the way a person is treated at work, in their community doing everyday things, and in government facilities based on a split-second (often unconscious) reaction to a person as a result of their cultural identity whether it be skin color, dress, mannerisms, an accent or any other cultural identifier. When we listen to people's stories about their experiences with racism, it gives the community better information about how to combat racism. Could we establish community forums in which people of all races may share their understanding of racism, their own contribution to the problem, personal experiences about racism, and potential actions that can be taken to eliminate it? Racism is a form of bullying, so some of the strategies used to combat bullying could also apply to prevent racism.
Through these forums, if people could come to an agreement about what is and what is not racism, couldn't we expect better outcomes for all Texans regardless of their race? Some of the most common requests I hear from minorities have to do with having better representation through a better understanding of culture and the benefit of the doubt when they move about in their lives trying to accomplish the same things their white counterparts are able to accomplish without the same fears and reactions.
I also believe that a leadership example is essential in implementing new thought patterns and attitudes about race in Texas and the rest of the US. Forums are only as strong as their promoters, therefore, I would ask that starting with the governor's office and trickling down to city mayors and police officers across the state, our leaders set an example of respect for people of all races from the gas station attendant to the person behind the counter at the DMV. The media has a responsibility to seek out and broadcast positive race relations as much as they focus on negative situations.
As a middle- and high-school teacher, I have found that I have to teach my students exactly what respect is before I can ask them to comply with the directive to "be respectful." Perhaps there is a need among adults to relearn what respect is and how to show it to others. I believe that when a person shows others respect--even those whom they do not believe deserve it--they are showing nothing more than that they respect themselves.
I would like to live in a world where the Mexican entrepreneur, African American teacher, Asian business owner, and white transportation worker each have the same opportunities in that first split second of each interaction and that their character would speak for itself louder than the color of their skin. I believe that leadership example, meaningful discourse, and education are the keys to combatting racist bullying.
Thank you for considering my request to develop an initiative to bring Texans more closely together in racial equality!
