Black and White . . . this time meaning race.

Here we go again. This is the same thing that I posted about just a month ago. Black and white thinking. Although this time it may be even more “Black and White” than before. I can’t stop thinking about what happened to that man, and I do want to say his name loudly, GEORGE FLOYD, because it is sad for all of us. Was he a saint? No. But are you? No. Did he do something wrong? Yes. Did he deserve to die? Absolutely not. A police officer does not have the right to be judge and jury – not in this country, and not in this day and age. That man who killed him, who I will not name, should have been in tears for what he did. He should have known his humanity was falling from his body.

Every one of us should feel outraged for this racist act of cowardice. Brutal force is for when you are about to die, and there was no threat of that here, and I argue, brutal force is never the answer. I have had guns pulled on me multiple times, and I was never harmed in the situation. You know why? First of all, I was not carrying a gun and didn’t fight back. Secondly, it was for money. MONEY. Something dumb and fleeting, and abundant on other days. A simple reply and a look in the eyes and there was no threat of violence. And just for disclosure, one was a black man and one was a white man. No difference, just someone scared with a gun and unable to make ends meet. No one wants to hurt other people. Everyone wants what is best for themselves, and even more so, for their family or their community.

How dare we jump on social media from our place of privilege and say, “How dare they riot!” When for years now, Black athletes have been taking a knee against this sort of act and were ridiculed, cut from teams, and told that they “shouldn’t protest the flag.” Well they weren’t protesting the flag, they were protesting that this happens underneath that flag, and way too often. How many counts of this have not been filmed? What is the black community to do? Walk up to the capitol steps with assault rifles? How do you think that would play out? Although, I watched in horror as that happened by scared white men a few weeks ago. And our commander in chief, inciting violence and using the term THUGS, which is racism 101 covert lingo for blacks.

I don’t know how to fix this problem, but talking with all people around you is a great way to start. I know I always go back to housing, because that is what I know best, but we caused so much of this trouble by our housing policy over 75 years ago. When our troops returned from the war, there was a suburban movement that caused significant “White Flight” to the suburbs – thereby hollowing out the cities. Couple that with an overtly racist practice of “redlining” (which again should be common knowledge, but has been hidden for so many) – which was essentially drawing Red Lines on maps by banks, lending institutions, people of power, and people with white skin, that designated areas they would not lend money to. These were predominantly Black neighborhoods and they were not offered a way to the suburbs, because we were an extremely racist country at the time, and this was commonplace and sanctioned. Study and research this more if you want, but I just wanted to mention it, as it has been a part of my holistic community view since the 90s. But since we segregated (on different terms this time) we have grown even further apart (however that is possible), and the privileges we were granted are forgotten or not even known. This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of failing schools, mass incarceration, purposeful introduction of drugs, systemic racism, etc. But I am running out of steam.

All I know is that I am outraged that there is racism in 2020. I thought it mostly died with our grandparents, and am shocked to see it resurging (or maybe it has remained but is just more visible now). I am also ashamed of my own implicit bias, and know that if you haven’t looked at it, you have some too. I don’t even know how to put into words the mixed feelings that come to mind when I think of my privilege. I have never had to fear the police (unless I was actually doing something wrong); I have been able to run anywhere; I have never been looked at suspiciously for walking down the street, wearing a hoodie, knocking on a door, or being in a neighborhood; I feel comfortable talking to a police officer and don’t ever assume he may take it the wrong way; I had two parents who loved me and worked hard for a living; I have a name that doesn’t get removed from the stack of job/college applications; I have so much. And I feel this pain immensely.

We have to do better. We have to talk. We have to demand accountability. Love y’all.