Reflections From a Token Black Friend

<p>Iam regularly the only black kid in the photo. I have mastered the well-timed black joke, fit to induce a guilty &ldquo;you thought it but couldn&rsquo;t say it&rdquo; laugh from my white peers. I know all the words to &ldquo;Mr. Brightside&rdquo; by the Killers.</p> <p>I am a token black friend. The black one in the group of white people. This title is not at all a comment on the depth of my relationships; I certainly am blessed to have the friends that I do. But by all definitions of the term, I am in many ways its poster child. And given the many conversations occurring right now around systemic racism, it would feel wrong not to use my position as a respected friend within a multitude of different white communities to contribute to the current dialogue. I believe my story speaks directly to the covert nature of the new breed of racism &mdash; its structural side, along with implicit bias &mdash; and may prove helpful to many I know who seek a better understanding.</p> <p><a href="https://humanparts.medium.com/reflections-from-a-token-black-friend-2f1ea522d42d"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>
Tags: Black Kids