NIAGARA, Wis. — I have to admit that this column is difficult to write this week. And it is not just because I have been writing it for well over a year, and I am running out of topics. When I began, I wanted the column to be of interest to an age group of folks who, like me, were dealing with retirement. It needed to be helpful without being preachy, relevant without being political, and enjoyable enough to maybe take my readers’ minds off the day-to-day challenges of their lives.

Then came the pandemic, and the tone of the topics changed for a few weeks. Now we have an explosion in the streets across America the likes of which we have not seen since the Vietnam war era, and Kent State made headlines as students were shot by the National Guard. The ugly underbelly of racism in our country has been laid bare. I do not consider this a political matter as much as I do a matter of humanity; of how we treat each other in this country. I cannot ignore this issue, so if you do not want to hear more about this topic, you can stop reading now.

I have always lived in rural America which is to say, white America. I have never been exposed to diversity, never experienced first hand the upheavals it can bring to a community, never really appreciated the richness to be gained from being exposed to other cultures. I grew up in a community surrounded by German farmers. Everyone looked like me and valued what I valued. I did not come into contact with race issues so never gave them a thought.

I went to college in my hometown; a school with sky high tuition only made affordable because my mother’s employment benefits provided us with free tuition. There were foreign students on campus, but the biggest “cultural divide” I experienced came from the wealthy kids who had spent their lives in the Chicago suburbs.

After college, I married and continued to live in even smaller, all-white, Midwestern communities. I was busy starting a life, having and raising kids, and building a career. I barely had time to come home from work, get supper on the table, oversee homework and kids’ activities so never read the newspaper, and I fell asleep long before the evening news. I was in my own, insulated world for a very long time.

It was not until our youngest son attended his first year at Marquette University in Milwaukee that I was given a lecture, by him, in “institutional racism.” I did not get it. My responses to him seem ridiculous now. I was of the mindset that I was not even alive when there was slavery in this country so how is it my fault? I have nothing against black people so how is racism my problem? I have to give him credit because he did not give up until his mother began to understand the depth of the issue in our country. I finally understood that by not paying attention to the issue of race in America, I was contributing to the problem — a problem that has been around for 400 years. And by not speaking up at this juncture, I would also be contributing to the problem.

I was not going to use my column to address this issue until a good friend sent me an essay written by a black woman, Emily Otiso, who lives in Minneapolis and works at a St. Paul hospital. She recounts how difficult it was to get through her work day as one of the few black people in her department. She continued to hear conversations from her white colleagues who were commenting on how the demonstrations had inconvenienced their lives and “don’t accomplish anything.” Her statement that “condemning the effect without understanding the cause is the single most toxic thing you can do in this situation” just jumped off the page at me. How quick we are as white people to suggest that protests turned violent will not help “their cause” without really appreciating the depth of their issues and the pain with which they live every day.

She also explains that what is happening is not about the fate of a single man at the hands of police violence, but stems from “400 years of institutional racism, systemic oppression, police brutality, implicit bias, micro aggressions, and countless legalized and socially acceptable ways in which our country keeps its knee on the neck of black communities.” Please take a minute to let this very powerful statement sink into your mind and your heart.

She also makes the point that the pandemic has helped white America better understand how it feels to be looking to leadership for the basics to survive and getting a paltry response. How hard did healthcare workers have to beg for the personal protective equipment necessary to safeguard their lives so they could save the lives of others? How loudly did they have to scream for respirators and test kits to help their patients only to have their requests be second guessed? She explains further that the unemployment rate in Minnesota and in Mississippi is three times higher for blacks than whites. She says, “Desperately trying to provide for your family because you lost your job is a feeling black communities are all too familiar with. Today it is a reality millions of Americans face as this pandemic rages on.”

Now take these frustrations that have lasted for months and multiply them by lifetimes within the black communities in this country. How long have they been asking for equal opportunity, for accessible healthcare, for quality schools for their children, and for safe neighborhoods protected by police who actually care about them? How long have they been working to fulfill the same American Dream worked for by white America? And how many more roadblocks have been placed in their way for no other reason than the color of their skin? Then ask yourself if this was your reality, would you not be frustrated to the point of demonstrating in the streets?

A black man described how he goes for a walk through the neighborhood twice each day with his dog on a leash in one hand and his daughter in the other hand. He states he does this for his own protection because seeing a tall, athletic black man walking alone through a predominantly white neighborhood would put him at risk. In our neighborhoods, we walk with our children to protect them! Think for a moment how this must feel for this father.

This man’s name is Shola M. Richards. He is a motivational speaker and travels the country giving presentations on race relations in an effort to help businesses provide safer work environments for their employees. He made a statement that jumped off the page at me. He said, “Having white privilege doesn’t mean that your life isn’t difficult, it simply means that your skin color isn’t one of the things contributing to your life’s difficulties.”

Ms. Otiso concludes her essay with these words, “… to be black in America is to find a way to live with the constant pain your race brings you through no fault of your own. To be black in America means finding a way to be proud in your skin because it is the most powerful statement you can make in this country. To be black in America means rising above the endless oppression to incite change. Being black in America means my heart hurts, and I can’t find the words to adequately describe how I’m feeling.”

Now is the time to broaden the definition of being white in America. It is time for us to step up and make more of an effort to acknowledge the pain so we can help to ease it. It is time for us to listen so we have a better chance of understanding. It is a time for us to take constructive action together so we can help make life in America better for everyone. And it is long past time for the American Dream to be truly accessible to, and enjoyed by, all of us.

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Farm to Family Program

Food box pick-up schedule:

— Kingsford location, 621 North Hooper St.(across from Trico): Friday, June 12, 9 to 10:30 a.m.;

— Sagola Senior Center, Thursday, June 11, 10 to 10:30 a.m.;

— Felch Community Center, Thursday, June 11, 9 to 9:30 a.m. ;

— Iron River Senior Center parking lot drive-up, Thursday, June 11, 11 a.m. to noon.

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The usual senior living activity calendars and senior center menus will not be published this week in an effort to avoid confusion. Due to the coronavirus and the vulnerability of the elderly population, daily life in the senior living facilities and senior centers has changed dramatically.

All living facilities have closed their doors to public visitation, and the activity calendars have been modified to allow for one-to-one room visits only and individualized activities to keep residents engaged and active as much as possible while remaining within the health and safety guidelines provided by state health experts.

Group games are being substituted with individualized activities residents can do in their respective rooms. Staff are providing supplies as well as “overhead announcement bingo and trivia” games and “hallway games” that can be played in individual rooms or by sitting within individual room doorways. YouTube and DVDs are being utilized to provide religious services. A big dose of gratitude and appreciation goes out to all senior care staff for their creativity, caring and perseverance through a difficult situation.

All senior centers have also been closed to any center-based activity. Meals continue to be delivered. Some centers also are preparing meals to be picked up.

Questions can be directed to the individual centers.

SENIOR CENTERS

SENIOR CENTERS

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Breen Center

906-774-5110

Crystal Falls Center

Head cook: Lucy Korhonen

906-875-6709

Crystal Lake Center

Iron Mountain

906-239-0278

Home-delivered meals only. Menu for the week:

Monday: Stuffed peppers, cauliflower, dinner roll and pudding.

Tuesday: Turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.

Wednesday: Cheese omelet, spiced peaches and hash browns.

Thursday: Spaghetti with meatballs, corn and breadstick.

Friday: Turkey and cheese sandwich, coleslaw and chips.

For questions on the center’s meal program, call Christine McMahon at 906-774-2256.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Home-delivered and/or take-out meal menu:

Monday: Barbecue beef sandwich, baked beans and chips.

Tuesday: Chicken ala king, noodles, California blend and vegetables.

Wednesday: Jambalaya, corn bread and corn.

Thursday: Beef stroganoff, noodles and broccoli.

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Home-delivered meals only. Menu for the week:

Monday: Waffle sticks, breakfast sausage, hash brown patty, fruit and orange juice.

Tuesday: Pork chop suey, rice, Oriental vegetables and fruit.

Wednesday: Crispy chicken, cheesy potatoes, squash and fruit.

Thursday: Brats and sauerkraut, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon and brownies.

Friday: Biscuits and sausage gravy, corn, tomato juice and fruit crisp with topping.

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

For meal reservations, call 855-528-2372

Same as ADRC menu. Home-delivered only.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

For meal reservation, call 715-528-4261

Same as ADRC menu. Home-delivered only.

Tipler Town Hall

715-674-2320

Call for meals. Same as ADRC menu. Home-delivered only.

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

For meal reservations, call 715-589-4491.

Same as ADRC menu. Home-delivered only.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Pam Haluska

906-498-7735

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Home-delivered only. Meal menu for week:

Monday: Stuffed green peppers, wax beans, breadsticks, fruit and milk.

Tuesday: Chop suey, rice, green beans, roll, fruit and milk.

Wednesday: Seafood salad, tomato slice, hard-boiled egg, fruit and milk.

Thursday: Swedish meatballs, noodles, carrots, roll, fruit and milk.

Niagara Northwoods Senior Cafe and Center

Meal site manager: Corrie Maule, 715-251-1603

Senior center director: Jill Anderson, 715-251- 4154

Norway Center

Director: Susie Slining

906-563-8716

The center will remain closed. Take outs available, must call ahead. Menu for the week:

Monday: Salmon, scalloped potatoes, spinach, fruit, juice, milk, bread and dessert.

Tuesday: Bourbon steak over noodles, Brussel sprouts, fruit, juice, milk, bread and dessert.

Wednesday: BLT wrap, sweet potato fries, carrots and onions, fruit, juice, milk, bread and dessert.

Thursday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, mushrooms, fruit, juice, milk and dessert.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Call for home-delivered and/or take-out meal menu.