By Garry Clark / Herald Forum
“Go back to the cotton fields.” These are the words that were shouted at my amazing 13-year-old daughter, Azlyn, as she stood with friends in the hallway of her middle school recenty.
Azlyn handled it, as she has handled most things, with strength, power and resilience.
As parents, we did the talk. We got emotional. We cried. We educated her. We tried our best to equip her with knowledge. With insight not taught in schools.
I drop her off to school each morning when I can. Most days I’m excited to do so, however, lately, I feel uneasy, nervous that I cannot protect her, her roots, her African DNA, her curly hair, and inquisitive mind, from possible hate, from ignorance, or even blatantly, erratically spouted racism.
So what happens for us all? We post. We cry. We battle to educate, to share goals of diversity, equality and inclusion. We plead with white folks to get uncomfortable and speak up. We have outrage. And then, it lives on. We see shootings, bombing and so on. And I am sick of it!
I’m very tired, I’m clearly struggling, but Azlyn’s response, her ability to stand up and walk, like it matters little, it gives me energy.
I will follow her lead. I ask that each of you do the same. Carry on.
Garry Clark is president and chief executive of Economic Alliance of Snohomish County. He lives in Snohomish.
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