BLACK OR WHITE
Dale McLean
I ’ m from Kingston , Jamaica . My family decided to come to America when I was a kid . I was excited , because I ’ d heard so many great things about America . Before I got here , I thought the only cereal in the world was Corn Flakes . Then I came , and there was an entire aisle of cereal like Cocoa Puffs ! When I first arrived , I had a strong accent . I was 12 , and I didn ’ t want to stand out . No kid wants to stand out , whether you ’ re tall , short , fat , skinny . So , I tried my best to hide my accent . Then in 9th grade , I felt this pressure to decide whether I was going to hang out with the black kids or the white kids . I didn ’ t understand the history in America . I didn ’ t know there was a black or white . People don ’ t realize , but there are black Jamaicans , white Jamaicans , Spanish Jamaicans , I mean a whole melting pot . But we ’ re taught that we are all the same . I learned about racism in America . The funny thing about it was that I was accepted more by the white kids than by the black kids , because of the difference in cultures between black Americans and black people from the Caribbean . It took a while for me to realize I just had to be myself . Nowadays , one of the things I do is coach young kids at a private school . The school is predominately white . A lot of times , most of the interactions the kids have with black people are with housekeepers or gardeners or something like that . When they meet me , it shows them that a black person can be something other than a nanny or a chauffeur or whatever . It ’ s nice to break down those barriers . I may change their minds on how they view others . I can help them learn that we can ’ t focus on whether we ’ re black or white . We have to look at people as who they are as people , and forget about the color . Are you smart , or are you dumb ? Are you doing the right things ? Are you helping others or not ? I recently started something called # mitzvahmondays , because I think people need to give back when they can . A “ mitzvah ” is a good deed . So , every Monday , I try to do something nice for someone . It could be something as simple as holding the door , or donating a pair of shoes to someone who needs them . I may even pay for the car behind me in line at a fast food joint . I ’ m not saying I ’ m Ghandi , but when I see things I can do in my little corner of the world , I try to do them and do them differently .
People forget that it only takes one act of kindness to start something great . You don ’ t have to climb out of a burning building to save someone , or do a crazy heroic act . You just have to think of others for two seconds . If you see someone walking by and they ’ re struggling because they have their hands full as they ’ re trying to open the door , open the door for them . It can strike up a conversation , and change your world . It was one act of kindness , almost 25 years ago , that afforded me the lifestyle I have today . After I graduated high school , I went to the University of Miami . One Friday , while everyone was hanging out at the frat , I started dancing on a table . A woman happened to be walking by and came over to me . She asked me if I was a dancer . “ No . I mean , I have rhythm , but I ’ m not a dancer ,” I said . “ Well , how would you like to dance at parties for money ?” she asked . “ I don ’ t think my parents would like that very much ,” I said . “ No , no . Let me explain ,” she said . “ Have you ever heard of a Bar Mitzvah ?” I had no clue what that was . She explained that she ’ d just moved down to Miami from New York with her fiancé . They ’ d recently started a company in Ft . Lauderdale that did events , and they were looking for dancers . I checked it out , and found out that I loved it . I discovered that I ’ m a natural entertainer , and I wanted more . I wanted to be the MC of the party . I ended up becoming the general manager of the company , and eventually a partner . Now , I work for the Miami Heat while owning my own company with amazing clients , and it all started with that opportunity given to me because I was dancing on that table .