III. Living Together? Real Stories

Quay Hanna

Who loves the racist?

This can be like a loaded question, and I guess it is. Usually, at an anti-bias, anti-prejudice, anti-racist conference, there will be nary a soul to raise his/her hand. Despite this, loving the racist has become my mantra.

The racist does not need to be hated, despised, mocked, or knocked off his pedestal, like so many people think. I believe that the cure to racism and our other woes is to lift these people up. The reason a person is racist is because he doesn’t consider himself important. Think about it. Why would someone take pride in being white? How much diligence and hard work goes into being white? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I always question a person who is proud of his color. Why? It seems to me that a person who is proud of his color most likely believes that he has nothing else to be proud of. He latches onto his color, something that cannot be taken from him. Putting my theory to work, I have spent the last three years working with overtly racist redneck students at Penn Manor High School. There have been over sixty-five students involved in the club during that time period. Some have made great changes; some have not. My goal has not been to break them down, but to build them up. And it is working. Someday, I want everyone to meet my boys, many of whom came to me as overtly racist students.

You ask me, Who loves the racist?

I do.

* Quay Hanna, a reformed racist redneck, is the author of Bus America: Revelation of a Redneck. He was born and raised in Lancaster County where he had little interaction with minorities. Throughout high school and college he was a racist, but a trip across the United States made him appreciate diversity. Quay now travels throughout rural Pennsylvania speaking to students, teachers and administrators about his past experiences as a racist. He encourages students to think for themselves, seek the truth, and follow no one but themselves.