Today’s White Niggers | Discussion A: Black-Faced Feelings

Reflection and Discussion

An exercise in practicing love beyond belief as the heart of compassion for ourselves, others, and the world. 

Refer to the Today’s White Niggers blog series parts 1 through 4.

Reflect on these questions by yourself or gather an online or in-person group to reflect and discuss. An effective format for group reflection and discussion can be found in the Love Beyond Belief™ Small Groups section.

Questions:

1. Recall a time when you had a feeling or desire that made you feel uncomfortable.
   
2. How did you try to hide the feeling or reveal it in an indirect way? How do feelings disclose themselves even when we try to hide them?
   
3. What feelings were the immigrants trying to hide when they created blackface minstrel shows in America?
4. Are whites who put on blackface today also trying to hide, demean, or ridicule their own feelings by trying to black-face them?
   • The Latest: Florida Gov: Elections Chief Regrets Blackface (The New York Times/The Associated Press)
   • [Virginia] Governor Admits He Was in Racist Yearbook Photo (The New York Times)