Heritage

It was summer, and my family had been invited to a barbeque by some friends. The soft chatter flowed together like streams joining to form a river, further lulling my already drowsy self to sleep. I was in elementary school then and was completely uninterested in such boring adult conversations. Suddenly, the murmur subdued, piquing my interest. The conversation had shifted to one member of the group named Alex.

“As it turns out, my grandparents have ancestors from all over the world, including Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Northern Africa! We were so surprised to learn that, especially since we all have a pretty fair complexion,” he explained. 

John’s father nodded. “It was really fascinating to see. I had no idea that my parents had such a diverse ancestry. I’m really excited to see what genes were passed down to me and then on to my kids.”

John agreed. “I’m a little nervous too, though,” he admitted. “I just really hope I don’t have any African blood in me. That would be embarrassing.”

For a minute, it appeared to me as if the entire world froze, letting the full weight of John Doe’s comment sink in. But then, to my confusion, someone mentioned something about the reliability of those kinds of gene tests, and soon the conversation had transitioned to a new subject matter.

I couldn’t get over that statement as easily, though. Something about it had felt strangely off, even if my eight-year-old self couldn’t quite explain why. Looking back, I recognize that the misleading innocence in John’s voice masked a more sinister, disgusted undertone. It was as if he, as a white person, couldn’t fathom being related to black people. Reflecting on that brief moment, I regret not bringing up how wrong it had felt — if not to him, then at least to my parents. Unfortunately, we live in a society where racial prejudices run deep, and many people don’t fully realize the extensive harm such interactions can have. Time travel sadly hasn’t been invented yet, but by properly educating myself and keeping an open mind, I hope that I’ll have the courage to speak up in the future.

by Julia Arnold