As we humans find our way through our individual lives, we all develop our own distinct interpretation of the world around us. We are the product of our genetics and our environment; both shape us into the individuals we are. There are so many things we have in common: the desire to enjoy our lives, to love, to be loved, to succeed at the things we enjoy doing... Yet we often focus on our differences, whether they be religion, class, or - most often - race. We developed from tribes, and it is an ingrained reaction that is hard to shake.

Through the centuries, the tribes at the top have ebbed and flowed. From the Sumerians to the Egyptions to the Romans to the British, there have been the conquerors and the conquered, and the conquered often end up subservient, generally against their will. As mankind has become more enlightened (in general, not always specifically), the idea of slavery and the lessor worth of some humans - based on tribe - has become anachronistic.

Slavery was abolished in the United States about 150 years ago, and - despite the change in law - the changes in the hearts and minds of my fellow citizens have been slow to catch up. In other people, the racism is easy to spot. In ourselves, it is rarely recognized. Some of it is severe to annoying (such as referring to people as "the Blacks"), and in other cases it is as simple as not realizing that there continues to be a dichotomy between large segments of Americans, based on race. Let's see if we can open a few eyes and shine some light on why my fellow "whites" don't always realize that not all is equal. Here are a few things to ponder:

• When I was growing up, Santa Claus was white like me. This was my normal. It never occurred to me that to some kids Santa might not look like he could be their kindly grandfather.


• When I was a kid watching TV, the shows and commercials had people that looked like me and my family. This was normal, to have people that looked like me on the news and selling me products. It never occurred to me that that wasn't everyone's experience


• Most of the movies I saw had people like me. It didn't really occur to me that for some people, the actors were usually different looking than them.


• A good school was normal for me. It didn't occur to me that other kids had to endure dangerous schools where learning was a challenge (at least - I couldn't understand it in a visceral non-after-school-special kind of way). My school helped me prepare for my life ahead. It never occurred to me that other people were leaving school at a disadvantage.


• When we studied history, the stories were all about white people that did good things. This seemed normal... it never occurred to me that other people couldn't relate to the stories, or had ancestors who suffered horribly at the hands of these people.


• It never occurred to me that I was raised with a financial advantage, because my father and his father and his father, etc. had a financial advantage over those struggling to rise above slavery. My ancestors had good food, good schools, and access to learning tools that other kids' ancestors who may not have been white did not. This ancestoral head start gave me an advantage that I never gave a moment's thought to.


• When I walk down the street, I never have the experience of a mother pulling her daughter close to her, or clutching her purse suspiciously.


• I've never been the victim of real estate redlining. No realtor ever steered me away from a neighborhood because I was white.


• If I happened to have the misfortune of being trapped in a coastal city after being hit with a once-in-a-century hurricane, I would be identified as "looking for food" instead of "looting"


• I will never experience the anger and humiliation of being pulled over by the cops for "driving while white"


• If I had a daughter that disappeared, it would be all over the news. I won't experience wondering if the news organizations and/or the viewing public think my daughter is not worthy of the coverage.


• If there's gun violence in my neighborhood, it is shocking and unexpected, and reported as such on the news.


• When I see a noose, I am reminded of the old wild west, rather than recoil in horror.


• If I display anger, people wonder what is wrong, rather than assume it's typical for my race


• If I go to a store to buy a gun, it is not assumed that I will be using it to commit a crime


• I have never experienced being followed around in a store by a suspicious employee.


• When I go for a job interview, the person doing the interview usually looks like me. It never occurs to me that I have to overcome a bias in the interviewer's mind because of the way I was born.

All of these add up to a financial, educational, and psychological advantage that most like me don't even recognize, much less acknowledge. We assume there is a level playing field, but of course that is never the case. Why should we care? If you were on a team, and knew you were winning a baseball game because the umpire was making all the calls in your favor, would winning the game be as satisfying? Unless the game is fair, it is a hollow victory, and cheapened for us all.

It will likely take numerous generations to erase the tribalism in our minds and hearts. It will probably take even longer to erase the entrenched advantages that we as the former conquering race have enjoyed. Like any bad behavior, though, the key to eliminating it is to first recognize it for what it is. Here's hoping this has helped a little in that regard.