Can we unlearn prejudice? As I ponder that question, I’m reminded of three unique incidents from my past. These incidents occurred within a time-frame of several months of each other, and they all had an aspect of how prejudice can be unlearn.

The first of these incidents occurred on a September day when black students were making their transition to the all-white high school in the town of my birth. It was the fall of 1970; the beginning of a new school term, and black students were as indifferent at being at their new school as white students were in having them. I remember how fierce-looking some of us black students were; we were young, passionate revolutionaries who wanted change. And with zeal bordered on hope, nothing was going to stop us from reaching our objective.

A group of us black students had gathered in front of the administration building to proclaim our hue and cry for our cause to be heard. Needless to say, our efforts felt on deaf ears; yet, no sooner had we disbanded a group of white students started heckling us and telling us in no uncertain terms what they thought of us.

The next day, tension was pretty much quieted; in fact, black students’ transition seemed to have come off without a hitch.  We went on for the next several months without incident, and became seasoned to the programs and activities of our host school.

The next incident occurred right before school dismissed for Christmas break; a white student habitually used the N-word when another black student and myself was having a quiet conversation in a favorite eatery patronized by local high student students. The used of the word raised our collective ire and we immediately left the establishment.

It wasn’t until after school had reconvened that following January that we black students were more determined than ever to rid ourselves and our school of the dehumanizing effects of prejudice. Thus a committee was formed, and I was appointed its first moderator who had the responsibility of improving race relations within our school. That committee proved to be very invaluable in improving race relations within my hometown’s school community.

That final incident occurred when school had officially dismissed for summer break.  Those same white students appeared to be more wary than ever in their unrelenting drive toward promoting their prejudiced behavior. They heckled us black students until we were safely on the bus and out of sight. Still, that first year was a trial, but it was the very next year that we black students were more determined than to rid our local academic community of prejudice.

Finally, prejudice can and must be unlearn. It behooves each one of us to view each other out of respect for his or her differences. We may not like those differences, but if we show the opposing side that we want change, then change will ultimately come.