Community March Against Racism (Photo credit: Caelie_Frampton)

By Michele Hunt

The Trayvon Martin tragic injustice has sparked a long overdue conversation in America. What is at the heart of racism in our country? Why is the fear so intense between the black and white communities? Why can’t we find the courage to authentically talk about it?

I am so proud of our president for calling on us to engage in thoughtful conversations in our homes, churches and communities across the nation. He is asking us to talk about why an innocent young black male has to fear for his life walking home, why he becomes a suspect when he enters a store, or feared when he steps into an elevator — normal activates most of us take for granted. He is also asking us to go deeper, to get to the heart of the matter. I was very happy to hear the president talk about the need to understand the “context”; the background and circumstances that got us to this horrible place. Context matters, it gives us the framework to begin to understand. We cannot begin to heal and grow without first understanding the problem. We cannot understand one another until we share our stories.

I don’t believe in the saying “Familiarity Breeds Contempt”; I believe familiarity breeds understanding. Remember Aesop’s fable The Fox and the Lion:

“When a fox who had never yet seen a Lion, fell in with him by chance for the first time in the forest, he was so frightened that he nearly died with fear. On meeting him for the second time, he was still much alarmed, but not to the same extent as at first. On seeing him the third time, he so increased in boldness that he went up to him and commenced a familiar conversation with him.” – Acquaintance softens prejudices. (Translated by George Fyler Townsend)

People started to understand same-sex love when their son, their daughter, a family member or a friend, came out of the closet and told their story. Many people’s first reaction was fear, which translated into hate, prejudice and sometimes abuse. The more people came out and shared their stories, the less people feared and judged; that put us on a path to collective understanding. That understanding grew to a critical mass resulting in the transformation of our social acceptance of people who love someone of the same sex. Laws across our country (and the world) are beginning to bring justice to people who are a part of the LBGT community and their families.

Most of us can relate to women’s rights because we were all birthed by women and many of us have sisters, grandmothers, nieces and female friends. Even with this intimate familiarity, our society did not progress on women rights until women came out of the closet of what Betty Friedan called The Feminine Mystique. When women found the courage to tell the truth about their lives and share their hopes and dreams, society began to liberate women and girls.

Read More It Is Time to Come Out of the Closet About Racism in America | Michele Hunt.