A Parable on Whiteness

A Parable on Whiteness: Matt Halvorson

Good day, friends.

I'd like to share a parable with you today, as told to me by my son, Zeke. 

He's four years old, and he likes to make up songs.

A few days ago, we were sitting on the floor together in a hotel room in Oakland, where I was attending the Othering and Belonging Conference, and Zeke started drumming on a plastic cup.

“This song is about a town where everything is white,” he told me after a few minutes. “White, white, white. Everything used to be rainbow colored, but something happened to turn it all white.

Now they can’t tell what house is theirs.

Everything looks the same.”

Then he sang for a while as he drummed.

“White! White! White!”

He sang about confusion — people kept getting lost!

They couldn't tell any of the buildings or houses apart and couldn't find their way home.

Everything was white.

What a strange town!

After several minutes of this, Zeke paused and looked at me.

“Even the people are all turned white!” he said. “Everything is still rainbow on the inside, but it’s white on the outside.”

He sang then about how you couldn’t tell anyone apart, and about their rainbow colors being hidden.

Covered in white. Where is my family? Where is my home? Who am I?

We don’t know.

This is the town where everything is turned white.

I hope you're well. Thank you for reading, as always, and thank you for doing what you do. I appreciate you.

Love,

Matt

Rise Up Reading List:

• Systemic Oppression Demands a Systemic Exodus, by Matt Halvorson
• The school-to-prison pipeline is getting worse for black and brown girls, by Jacquira Diaz
• "By Any Means Necessary" - a song featuring the wisdom of Malcolm X, by Matt and Julian
• DIY: Home-schooling has become a powerful alternative for some Seattle families of color, by Marcus Harrison Green

Matt Halvorson | RiseUpMusic.org | RiseUpForStudents.org | MatthewHalvorson.com
Check out the Rise Up Music Project in Apple Podcasts and Spotify!