. . . you wouldn’t understand. It’s a white thang. It’s a woman thang. It’s a Christian thang. It’s a Jewish thang. It’s a Muslim thang. What the hell??!!
With so many “thangs” going on, no wonder we have trouble getting along. I can’t understand you, and you can’t understand me. We may as well be living in the Tower of Babel times when God punished the audacity of humans for trying to build an edifice to reach heaven. As the Old Testament states, God caused everyone to be talking in different tongues so that they could not complete the project. They were unable to communicate which caused the end of the haughty attempt. (Genesis 11:4–9)
In our book Black and White Like You and Me, we try to illustrate that the only way to improve relations is to communicate, to put aside ignorant stereotypes and to get to know one another. What if Cookie and the other black players said, “Basketball is a black thang; you wouldn’t understand”? Geezerball would not exist. The group of blacks and whites that have assembled every Saturday afternoon for the last 35 years to play basketball would never have grown. The blacks would not have been able to interact with the whites nor the whites with the blacks.
The book also discussed the segregation of Sunday or Saturday mornings. I’m a Baptist; I’m a Catholic; I’m a Jew; I’m a Muslim; I’m an Episcopalian; I’m a Methodist; I’m Non-Denominational. I’m sure I missed many because the list of religious segregation goes on and on and on. And of course, it’s a (_________ fill in the religion) thang; you wouldn’t understand my beliefs.
Again the parallel lines mentioned in the book will never cross if we continue to do our own “thang”. God intended that the Tower of Babel would not be completed. What the people back then were doing was wrong. God did not intend that the consequence of the speaking in different tongues causing impossible communication would carry into our time concerning all areas of life.
The Isley Brothers
Our book also dispels stereotyping of black and white characteristics. Ignorance has caused these assumptions. If/when the races get to know each other, the walls of confusion break down. Is it only a “black thang” that they like ribs and fried chicken and watermelon and grits? RIDICULOUS! Is it only a “white thang” that we can’t jump or dance for that matter? RIDICULOUS!
In conclusion, the world needs much less of divisive comments. The world needs much less of Sunday segregation. The world needs much less of doing its own “thang.”
The Isley Brothers had a smash hit “It’s Your Thang; Do what You Want to Do.” Perhaps as popular as that tune was, it did more harm than good. When you think of it, Blacks and Whites, doesn’t it irritate you when someone says that you are ignorant and can not understand something? Let’s stop doing our own THANG AND START ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S THANG! Well, not necessarily that “thang” you are thinking of but, hey . . . maybe?
Cover Image: The Tower of Babel • painting by anonymous 17th Century Dutch artist
