Our experiences drive our perceptions. And, sometimes seemingly incidental contact can become a formative experience. Cal Smith reminds us of that very important fact:

In closing I would like to share with readers an experience that I had during the first week of my thirteen-year stay in Canada. I was standing on the corner of King and James in Hamilton Ontario, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around I gazed into the face of the darkest person I had ever seen in my life. He smiled and asked where I was from. I stammered "Bermuda."

He replied, "Where is that?" I explained, although somewhat annoyed that he had not heard of the greatest place in the world but remained sufficiently calm to ask him where he came from. He explained that he was from Ghana, had been educated in Oxford University and was doing graduate studies at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario. This five minute encounter completely demolished my colonial education about Africa. This early education described Africa as a place where black savages spent the entire day trying to avoid being the dinner of the lions.

In addition, my African friend explained that he was the holder of a Rhodes scholarship — a scholarship for which black Bermudians were expressly forbidden to compete at the time of our conversation. He explained further that he had annoyed his father who wanted him to follow in the tradition of his family and study law so that he could become a judge as so many of his forebearers had done since the late nineteenth century.

"My goodness," I thought, this charcoal black man comes from a family which has developed several judges and Bermuda had not at that time delivered its first black magistrate." Clearly, there are wonderful experiences to be obtained by getting rid of our fears of interacting with people who are different. This enjoyment is likely to be even more profound, if the new person is of a different race and/or nationality as well.

Read the piece and then think about how each and every one of us can combat racism with just a touch more kindness and humanity.