The couple walking down the boardwalk beside the beach were obviously in love. They were only holding hands and talking happily together, but the glow was unmistakable.
His dark hair was dripping from just getting out of the water, and it ran in rivulets down his well muscled torso. He laughed out loud at something she said, his brown eyes widening.
She smiled, her white teeth accentuated by lovely red lipstick. She had dark hair, and her beautiful brown eyes twinkled at having made him laugh. Her pretty figure was just barely covered with a colorful smock, revealing glimpses of a bikini underneath it.
Now comes the test. Who are they? Who do you picture in your mind? I tried to formulate the description to fit about 75-80 percent of the entire world. The young couple could be on a beach anywhere in the world. They could be of any number of races. They could be a couple of mixed races. I suspect that most people will have pictured a young couple of their own race, if they are honest with themselves, because the scene I described is a happy one. If I had described something with more negative emotions, perhaps you would imagine someone of a different race.
In this day and age, I believe it is important for us to recognize in ourselves the unconscious biases that we hold. The thing is, just like with many other problems in life, this racial problem won’t go away unless we recognize what part we play in the perpetuation of the issue, and change ourselves. We cannot change other people. We can only change our own thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and actions. I encourage you to think about this little test, and consider what you can do to make this world a kinder one!