I am a teacher. I teach drama. Many of my students are African American. I honestly enjoy teaching them and I enjoy sharing in a perspective that they share in class that is different from my own. I also have to admit that I was trained in one of the most esteemed Drama schools in the 80's that had a very African American emphasis at the time I attended. I saw class mates go to Broadway and receive opportunities I could only dream about based on yes, their talent, but also their race and the opportunities that presented themselves. Today I am at peace. Barack Obama said to me that it is okay for someone who has supported equal opportunity in every segment of the workplace to feel uncomfortable with the fact that his very whiteness seemed to be in some strange way an impediment. He also gave me vast insight into the experience of my collaborators and students feel on an everyday basis. I realized today that we are working this out. Every day in my classes I am working this out. I understand that there is a void in experience and understanding and in a profession when so much of success is determined by luck and opportunity I see a little clearer. He gave me a gift.
I hope that we can all accept this speech for what it means to us personally. It is an invitation to understanding that frankly, I have been waiting for a long time. What a beautiful gift. To be able to see the impediments and frustrations of your friends, coworkers, collaborators, and even students in a clearer light is indeed a gift. I love what I do. I love making a difference in people's lives. I can honestly say that when I teach what I love and it is accepted by individuals no matter what their background and ethnicity, it makes me feel good. But tonight I felt something more. I felt a broader understanding of the possibility we all long for.
It felt right. I understand that it is a campaign speech at an important and dangerous moment for him as a candidate. But somehow, he also made me feel better about the world I live in. No matter what happens, I want to say thank you. Let's go forward from here...