Last year, I saw Anne and Emmett, written by Janet Langhart Cohen. She is an Emmy-nominated journalist and former mentee of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The play provides a bird-eye’s view of a fictitious conversation between child victims of racism, Anne Frank and Emmett Till. Emmett was persecuted for whistling at a young white girl in the segregated South. Anne perished in a concentration camp following years of hiding during the Holocaust.
Although I consider myself a culturally diverse person with friends from all walks of life, I must state my obvious bias. I've endured countless instances of blatant racism, including the sight of women clutching their purses on elevators and rejection from fellow colleagues, neighbors, so-called friends, and strangers due to my skin color. Recanting experiences would often lead to intense debates with close friends about what is more difficult to overcome; racism or religious persecution. During the play, I became more aware of the parallels with our stories as opposed to the differences. Even though ignorance is a breeding ground for hatred, we are all part of the human race. Therefore, our focus should be on the elimination of injustice endured by all. In order for this to take place, it is important for people of all walks to experience life together. Although I cannot change how closed-minded people view me, I can change how I allow it to affect me. Instead of focusing on what divides us, I try to focus on what unites us. We all seek happiness developed through lasting relationships that facilitate mental, emotional, and spiritual growth.
If they were having a conversation, maybe Anne would have invited Emmett to Passover Seder. Although that is not possible, I was able to attend a Passover Seder at a friend’s home. I have studied the history of various religions, but I wasn’t sure what was Kosher (pun intended) during the religious ceremony. So, I searched on Google and solicited help from a few of my Jewish friends.
At sundown last Friday, the Seder (i.e., order) began. The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual that marks the beginning of Passover. We read the Haggadah, a text that details the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt found in the book of Exodus. We recited various passages and sang songs. Some of the customs involved dipping parsley in salt water to symbolize tears shed and eating maror (i.e., bitter herbs) to remember the harshness of slavery. We also added a tomato to the Seder plate to remember tomato pickers, who are victims of modern slavery due to undesirable working conditions and wages. After the formalities, we simply enjoyed each other’s company and conversation just like Anne and Emmett.
I will leave you with an excerpt from the book, Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together:"I used to spend a lotta time worryin that I was different from other people, even from other homeless folks. Then, after I met Miss Debbie and Mr. Ron, I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn't ever gon' have no kind a' future. But I found out everybody's different - the same kind of different as me. We're all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us. The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless - just workin our way toward home.”
