I watched a segment of the national news tonight about the Rutgers women’s basketball team and the racist comments made about those young women by radio host Don Imus. I was impressed with coach C. Vivian Stringer, who said that she would listen to Imus and his explanations for his comments with an open heart when she meets with him privately.
Right after the news I left to pick up my 17 year old daughter as she celebrated her birthday with 8 or 9 of her friends and track team teammates in an upscale, Anglo Saxon neighborhood.
As I entered the beautiful house where her party was taking place I heard an eruption of laughter and I walked into a room full of beautiful, talented and bright young women who all care deeply for each other. The sharing and camaraderie in the room was palpable and suddenly I got tears in my eyes.
What if some radio host was making derogatory comments about the girls on our high school’s track team? What would my daughter and her wonderful friends feel about it and how would I feel?
I thought back again to C. Vivian Stringer’s thoughts of forgiveness and her feeling that if we absorb this and truly think about how these comments impact all of us then we can begin to change.
Imus has risen to fame and fortune by being outrageous and picking on people. I have often laughed at the things his has said. I will think deeply before I listen too and laugh at Imus in the future. My hope is that Imus will change his behavior and become a leader in helping us all to support each other and become stronger as a nation.
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