Ex-Hawkeye athlete on how exposure to race teaches empathy

Note to readers: A version of this essay appeared in the Register in December 2016.

“Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes” is a memorable line from Harper Lee’s racially charged classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" when Atticus Fitch speaks to his daughter Scout about the importance of empathy. It is an appropriate reference in this Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa season when the spirit of giving is at the forefront of our minds. I’m reminded how exposure to race shaped my ability to show empathy to those whose color and culture differ from my own.

Growing up playing basketball affords one an opportunity to learn about race, though growing up in Iowa in the 1960s, I didn’t meet a black American until the fifth grade. In high school, 98% of the students were white and yet two of our team's starting five were black. As a Hawkeye, a disproportionate percentage of the black American students were athletes. I didn’t notice racism at the University of Iowa; my teammates recall it manifesting as awkward social moments bred more from ignorance than racism.

Read more.