I’m writing you this letter because of the current conversation that is going on in the nation today on race relations and a time may come when you feel it necessary to address friends and associates. As connoisseurs of music and my inspiration, it is very important to me that you know my thoughts on this particular subject. As I’m a person that has had the opportunity to travel around the world for forty years and witness the effects of racism on the human race. I’ve also been blessed to have in my immediate family many races. They are Afro American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, Philippines, handicapped, homosexual, and heterosexual. I have had no problem embracing each and every one of them in love, honor and respect. Therefore, I know I am not a racist.

Many years ago, I discovered that racism is a disease of the heart and the mind and it is prevalent throughout the planet. It can be very subtle or very overt. In fact, some people are unaware that they have the disease. The great problem with the disease is that it makes it possible for a person to justify perpetrating evil words and deeds upon certain people all over the planet wherever they go.

The good news is there is a test that each individual can take for themselves to discover if they have this disease. The test is simply this: If your sister, brother, child, mother, father, or best friend falls in love with someone of good character that is outside of their race and this person happens to love them as well and they choose to want to get married, would you in your heart of hearts have any problem bringing them into your family, loving them, honoring them and respecting them in every way? If your answer is anything but no then that’s how you know you are a racist. Now, you may not be the kind of racist that goes around calling people out of their names or putting on a sheet going out to hang somebody but never the less, you’re still effected by this disease. And the only cure for this disease, very much like alcoholism, is to first admit you have it and then you can go about the very serious inner personal soul searching work of ridding this from your spirit.

Therefore, being able to do unto to others as you would have them do unto you. I know that unless and until the world comes together on an individual basis to deal with this disease there can never be peace on earth.

I thank you and appreciate you for taking the time to read my thoughts on this matter.

In Jesus’ love,

Oliver C. Brown

Percussionist