We Are the Human Race

By Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis

This morning I woke up thinking about a form I had to fill in, and it asked what race I was? The banality of the concept of race suddenly struck me. I kept staring at the form and thinking, “I belong to the human race, what other race is there?” For the last few days I have thought about that form, then I realized as long as we keep on subscribing to the term Race, we will forever be divided.

There is only one human race. The concept of different races only came about around 1830 to justify slavery. Before then, there was no concept of race only cultures. There was no white race, only Irish, Italian, French etc. There was no Black race only Africans, and in fact there were no Africans only Ghananians, Ethiopians, Sudanese etc. And beyond all of that, there was the only concept of being a human being.

The brain is a funny thing, it needs words and sign post to continue traveling down certain neuron pathways. Race is a word and sign post that keeps us traveling down a neuron pathway that is loaded with misconceptions, constructed stories, and divisions.

This is why meditation, in all its ancient forms, is so powerful. One travels within and everything external begins to fall away and that means external labels and stories. Then there we are standing face to face with the universe to realize we are one with the Her, and so is everything else. We stand there in the throbbing silent vibration of oneness and love, and are often filled with the sudden realization “I am this, and not this.” The clouds part and who we really are stands before us – we realize we are pure love, peace and oneness.

When we meditate with the Mother Goddess energy especially, we give our neuron pathways a chance to create new pathways, as she represents the birthing and re-birthing womb of the universe. She beckons us in with her mirror to go beyond all divides. As we travel through her mirror, we make the long journey to our fully human selves free from the five poisons: Ignorance, Attachment, Aversion, Pride and Jealousy.

Meditation teaches us there is another story to who we are, and that is one of unity, compassion, love and sameness rather differences. It teaches us we are one with the river of the universe and the entire stream of creation’s consciousness. We are not races, but we are one big mighty body of water where each one nourishes the other.

The story of races and divisions we live, is only a small part of what is the great history of our humanity’s story. So next time I have a form like that to fill in, I will put I am part of the Human Race…No I will put, “I am part of the loving universe.”

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