NOT SEEING THE FOREST DUE TO THE TREES

Not seeing the forest due to the trees is one of the most profound and true analogies of life. What it essentially says is that our perspective of the whole is blocked by the reality that immediate surrounds us. Just because a patch of forest, that may be our environment, is green, does not therefore mean that the forest as a whole is not baran losing foliage. The forest may be receding, succumbing to the expansion of the desert, while the forest inhabitants and dependants are oblivious to this fact.

When we look at race relations and attitudes today, most white people cannot see the forest due to the trees. The reason being is that some blacks have managed to integrate and find tolerance, if not acceptance, into the world and lives of white people. Thus, these relations become trees that have the focus of many whites and block them from seeing the totality or “big picture” of the racial forest. Hence, they assume to be true for the whole what is true of the piece of environment that they exist in. Few individual lives and experiences can be viewed as a microcosm of the whole. Consequently, white’s view of reality (the big) picture, is often distorted from obstruction.

The same is true for black people. Contrary to what many whites think, Pan African or Militant blacks such as me are well aware that there is, and always has been, good white folks. In fact, the vast majority of black folks know that there are good white people in this world. Many of us have the pleasure of interacting with them and some even have intimate relations with them. However, does our experience with good white folk make us assume a less defensive position? Do we now believe that white racism is no longer a legitimate obstacle to our status and success, because we cannot see the forest of white behavior and attitudes because of the good whites in front of us?....most certainly this happens.

There are many white people, like one of our welcome commenters, who is more concerned about saving the reputation of the white race from the stigma of being racist, than they are about helping blacks offset and rise from the curse of white racism. They come across with personal stories about their black friends and how they treat all people as simply people because they do not see color. The effect of such rhetoric, whether by intent or coincidence, is that they come across “white people” as apposed to a “white person”. In other words, they come across as a tree representative or a microcosm of the forest of whiteness. Thus, they use their personal experience to in an attempt to invalidate the claim or theory that blacks are still held down by contemporary white racism, which is illogical because one cannot contradict the whole by what maybe true of a part.

Black and white relations are helped and hurt often by personal interracial relationships. I think we obviously know how it helps, but few take the time to realize that such relations can often distort or obstruct a truth of the whole that is not true of a part in on lives. Furthermore, once the race get together, they rarely talk freely about race out of fear of offending or alienating their friends or relations of another race. Thus, you never really get strait talk about race, in interracial groupings and conversations where people know each other.

I am not suggesting that we throw the baby out with the bath water by ceasing inter racial relationships and friendships, as some most absurdly would have suggested that I am alluding to. I am just trying to have an honest analysis of the reactions to certain actions, from a human nature perspective.

I believe that whites need to spend more time working on self introspection and changing the mindset of white folks, rather than on changing the perception of blacks concerning whites. Good white folks can do far more good performing missionary work with bad white folks, than by coming amongst black people to show us that all whites are not racist. It is like the white missionaries to go to Africa to help out the poor people, while teaching them Christianity and the blue print of righteous living, in their opinion. However, far more could be gained if these missionaries could convince their governments to not only cancel these nations debt burdens with there host nations, but repair the damage done to them from years of their demand for slave, colonization and cold war policies.

If there are any people who truly are afflicted with not seeing the forest due to the trees, it is the Africans. When you see Africans starving or in need of Aid, you generally only see white faces there to help. However, this works to blind the Africans to the fact that it was the European who demanded slaves, who colonized their nations, who created the borders and boundaries that cause so much infighting, and who propped up and supported dictators during the cold war, all of which sum up to be a major contributor of the continents current problems. Yet, most see white people as saviors…due to the Aid workers and missionaries.