On
yesterday, I gave myself permission to relax and reflect on the state of
America since that dreadful day – September 11, 2001. So much has happened since that day. We have our first black President. We entered wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Troops are coming home, and Ben Laden is dead.
The
days following the collapse of the World Trade Center united America like I’ve never
seen. American flags could be found
everywhere, and the call for unity stirred a deep pride and hope in the declarations
of our Constitution. There was a
movement beyond our differences. Those
who died that day represented the myriad of cultures that make for this amazing
union.
I
began to believe in America again. That’s
a statement that many have a hard time conceding. What you mean again! We are quick to pronounce
America as the best nation in the world.
Patriotism is not only expected, it is demanded. Shame on anyone who challenges the U.S.A’s place
as the best nation in the world.
The
aftermath of 911 brought a movement of change.
Enter the candidacy of Barack Obama.
Something was happening in America.
Like magic, the plight of the past was minimized for the collective good. Black people could no longer talk about the
implications of racism and the continued strain of those living with
disadvantage.
Jeremiah
Wright, former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ, was attacked for what
black preachers do. He confronted the
hypocrisy of America in a speech were he declared “God, damn America.” It was a sermon that came after 911. It was used to expose the radical ways of
Wright and the allegiance between Obama and Wright.
The
underlying assumption was Obama is too black to be America’s President. After challenging the church Obama attended,
it was rumored he’s not a Christian.
That was followed by questions regarding his citizenship. People argued that Obama is a terrorist
plant.
The
insanity has intensified since Obama became America’s first black
President. White people now claim they
are being discriminated against due to their race. “Obama hates white people,” a man stated on
NPR. It’s a sentiment spoken in numerous
camps. People are tired of black people
talking about race.
The
use of the word black stirs the pot of hostility. “Although I do
not support Rev Wooden's position, objecting to his statement because he is a
black minister is wrong,” AJW responded to my recent blog. “We should expect a
better argument from you than that, just as we should expect better arguments
from Blacks who support the president and from Whites to oppose him because of
his color.”
According to AJW, it’s not appropriate to raise questions
related to the changing culture among black ministers. It is significant that a black pastor
embraces a Republican agenda, but AJW refuses to concede the importance in
pondering the shift. Race, in his mind,
shouldn't enter the conversation. As
insensitive as that may be, it’s not even the tip of the iceberg.
A student at Towson University is fighting to start a “White
Student Union” on the campus. Matthew
Heimbach says the center will allow students to gather to support ideas of white
people. He wants a place that allows
students a place to appreciate their history and heritage.
Heimbach was previously involved with an organization called
Youth for Western Civilization, a group that placed messages of white pride
across the Maryland campus. “When
you have a group that calls themselves the White Student Union, their only
purpose is generally hostility towards those who are non-white,” says Richard
Vatz, professor at Townson University and a former advisor of the Youth for
Western Civilization.
The
point is, if black folks can have a center, we want one too. Heimbach fails to understand the history
behind culture centers is due to how history has been taken away and not taught
in those history books.
The thought fueling Heimbach’s agenda is a growing
perception among white people. They are
tired of talking about racism. Bob Parks
has produced a video that asserts white people can’t criticize Obama without it
being viewed as racist. Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbULBAjstBA
Bob makes a
good point. It is possible to oppose
Obama for reasons other than his race, but it’s also possible that people are
against him because of his race? It’s
one of those things black people carry every day. You never know the real reason behind not
getting that big foot in the door. It
could be because the other guy or girl is more qualified. Or, it could be
because of race.
“Man, ole dude
checked ‘other’ in the box where they asked for his race,” I overheard a guy
say at a bus stop.” When he came in for
the interview they saw he was a Nigger.
They said we will call you. He’s
been waiting for that call for 6 months.”
The two men
laughed. It wasn’t funny. It could have been about race.
So much has
happened since 911. Some for the
good. Some for the bad. Most of it is in flux.
One thing
is clear. White folks don’t like to talk
about race.
Sorry, we
need to have this talk.
"White folks don’t like to talk about race."
ReplyDeleteA bit of a generalization, no?
Definition of PREJUDICE
1
: injury or damage resulting from some judgment or action of another in disregard of one's rights; especially : detriment to one's legal rights or claims
2
a (1) : preconceived judgment or opinion (2) : an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge
Of course it's a generalization. All discussions about race are generalizations. At issue is with how to move past those generalizations.
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say that I am white and so that will color (bleach?) my take on this.
ReplyDeleteMost white people absolutely hate to talk about race. I think there are several reasons for this:
1. We're bad at it. Every adult white person has said and done racially insensitive things, and good white people are deeply humiliated by their own missteps. Black kids get talked to about the various meanings and effects of race in this country. They are taught its language and history and nuances. White kids are either indoctrinated as racists or kept as ignorant as possible most of the time. Neither is a position of strength, and both lead to embarrassing yourself in public (if you have any capacity for shame). So, we avoid it.
2. It makes us feel bad. Since we do screw up, we are afraid of being (mis?)identified as racists. Getting called racist is viscerally upsetting to decent white people. You can call me any four letter word you want and I won't blink, but call me a racist and I'll go home and cry. Kind of like I imagine the n word to be, only, of course, with some important distinctions.
3. We have a vested interest in keeping things as they are and/or dialing the clock backwards. It makes us harder to move forward, for sure. We don't want to be racists, we know it's wrong, but, let's face it, white privilege is pretty awesome for white people. We want to avoid the moral responsibility for racism, but we still want to reap the benefits of it. This is obviously untenable, so we resort to denial.
4. It would be much easier to remain in denial if everybody would just be quiet.
I have more I could say, but those are my initial thoughts. What does "why" look like through your eyes? I am interested to hear, because I am white, and we are experts at lying to ourselves so I always like to check and see if I'm at it again. :)