Marianne Williamson Asked White People to Apologize. She Got It Right.
Joy Sewing, Houston Chronicle, January 19, 2018
Marianne Williamson walked to the middle of the stage, paused for a second, then she asked all the black people to stand.
The New York Times best-selling author, internationally known spiritual teacher and native Houstonian was in town recently for her “Love America Tour” at Unity of Houston. She urged the 200 of us from our seats. She then instructed a white person to hold the hand of a black person standing.
A white woman and a teenage girl who looked to be mother and daughter in the row behind me took my hand and arm.
Williamson then told the white people to repeat after her. She began with, “I apologize ….”
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Her focus was on racism and politics, saying that until the United States addresses slavery honestly, gets deep about its enduring impact on African Americans and makes amends, we will continue a cycle of hate and racism in this country.
She cited Germany’s effort to apologize to Jewish people for the Holocaust and pay out billions in reparations.
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Reparations, even the “forty acres and a mule” promised in part by General William Tecumseh Sherman on Jan. 16, 1865, to former slaves, has been an ongoing debate in this country, but that’s not really what Williamson focused on.
A black woman stood up and told Williamson, who is Jewish, she was struggling to deal with the hurt and hate in her heart for white people because of racism. Williamson said one of the problems is that many white people are in denial about racism, don’t want to talk about it and want black people to “get over it.”
Marianne Wiliamson
