A Lesson from Emperor Penguins

Race issues are a constant theme in prison. Prison has a condensed collection of individuals who are intent on erecting walls of separation over trivial things like the color of one's skin. Certainly, cultural differences exist between ethnic groups, but this is not a reason for these unnecessary walls of separation. Yet, it seems that some people are intent on keeping conflict between ethnic groups alive simply because of these differences.
Lest one think I am talking only of privileged white oppression of other ethnic groups, let me make it clear that this racial oppression and hatred exists among all ethnic groups. In fact, Michigan prisons have several "religious" groups that are exclusively non-white, intentionally excluding "Europeans" based on their ethnicity alone. These groups are sometimes responsible for oppressing white prisoners simply because of their minority status in Michigan's prison system.
As on who is sensitive to the struggle of marginalized, underprivileged, and oppressed people, I want to help heal wounds that have often been generational, passed down for sometimes hundreds of years. I also want to help break the cycle of oppression and marginalization. Yet, sometimes I feel like this is an impossible task, especially since I myself am white. This fact alone often seems to exclude me from being given a fair voice in the healing process. Instead, I am too often lumped with "the man" who is guilty of marginalizing and oppressing others. I readily admit my inability to sometimes see the systemic inequalities that exist, yet I want to understand them so that I can at least avoid perpetuating them myself. 
A healthy community, whether in prison or out, requires attention to those on the margins. These marginalized people may be of different ethnic origins, or of different nationalities, gender, religious, economic or age groups. Regardless of the differences, a healthy community must be intentional about drawing these marginalized groups into the collective whole and giving them a place to belong so that they are an essential part of the community.
I am reminded of the Emperor Penguin who lives in some of the inhospitable weather conditions in the world. The male Emperor Penguins remain in Antarctica during the coldest time of the year; they are responsible for caring for the eggs laid by the females while the female penguins head south to feed. To stay warm and keep their eggs warm, the male penguins form large groups that huddle together and share body heat. Isolated individuals cannot survive the extreme colds of Antarctic winters. In these large groups of penguins, those on the margins begin to chill rather quickly, their body temperatures dropping as they face the brunt of the brutally cold weather. To maintain the health of each member of the community, each penguin on the fringes rotates into the center of the group so that it can benefit from the collective heat. Only by intentionally rotating those on the margins into the heat at the center can the entire group benefit and stay warm.
If we are to have healthy communities that provide a place for belonging to each marginalized group and individual, we must be intentional about inclusiveness. We must find ways to bridge the gaps that long histories of oppression and marginalization have caused between ethnic groups. Doing this will not be easy; it will require risk. Those who are marginized must find ways to begin to trust others and contribute their voice towards healing, and those who marginalize must find ways to end systemic inequality and become a voice of healing themselves. Both sides must begin to change the identity and labels they have espoused that continue to contribute to the have problem of division.