Editorial December 5, 1970 Issue

Color: Where We Are

Carl J. Welz

In many communities both blacks and whites are at a point where they can begin to tolerate one another. But many of us still find encounters uncomfortable. We long to express genuine love but don't know how. The human mind sometimes attempts to make a religious adjustment. Even though it falls short of a Christian view of man as God's offspring, this can be a real step in the right direction. But too often it is more in the nature of an attempted escape.

One can seek escape from pain by becoming unconscious. One can try to escape the discomfort of having to deal with people of another color by losing consciousness of color. And when the problem appears, one can appeal hopefully to his sense of virtue by saying to himself, if not to others, "I'm glad I've become color-blind where people are concerned."

This particular sense of brotherliness can represent a real desire for healing of prejudice. But often it appears, for blacks and whites alike, as a means of escape. To one who has come to think of his color as a terrible burden, the thought of colorless manhood seems a welcome relief. And to some this thought that no one is made in colors has helped them to see everyone as the child of the one Father, God, and has brought a degree of spiritual regeneration.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Tapping the Energies of Mind