And I thought I knew it...

After a few hours of driving and several wrong turns..we arrived at Case Western in Cleveland.  We met first with the masters program people, where I witnessed an interesting phenomena.   One of my students who is openly gay was immediately met with hostility by the black woman discussing the program.  Really.  I saw the whole thing happen, in the blink of an eye.  Which is interesting because in all honesty, this school, it is amazingly liberal.  It tauts itself as such and has the education and opportunities to back it up.  But I went into immediate protective mode here..because what I know about this student is that she is amazing, in every way.  She is the most unselfish person I have ever met..going above and beyond for her family in ways that most 20 somethings would never comprehend.  I was really appalled by the whole experience and felt the need to protect and defend.  I am good at that role though and it was an exercise in reality for me.  What she must go through on a daily basis.  She would never complain about it, but man, it must be painful to go through it like that constantly.  Where and when did it become ok to discriminate against people?  I am a social worker, I am educated, I am a woman..I realize that this happens.  But it does not make it right or ok.  Not at all.  How many people are denied access from dreams and goals because someone looked at them wrong?  I could see how easy it would be to just give up. To be so defensive.  But that's just it.  People already assume she will be defensive, so they provoke it and then it rises to the surface.  Of course it does!  The more I am around it and experience it first hand, the more I realize that we have done little to address it.  We are ignorant of it all.
On a positive note..I am excited about the PhD program.  I am.  I am thinking this is the right fit for me.  I will use this experience, my education, my position to try and promote a better understanding of it all.  A tolerance and a realization that we can't even pretend to think that we are "educated" and prepared for dealing with discrimination.  Not on this level. 
That being said..I am going to need a new coat, some boots, and a place to stay..
Cheers!