 |
| The history textbook I learned from in 8th grade 1969 Concord Junior High |
Relax, I’m not going to tell you that you’re bad. Nor
am I going to expect you to be ashamed of your race. And I am not going to
discredit America. In fact, I am going to appeal to your sense of American
Exceptionalism as a motivator to conquer racism.
Being a white
66-year-old, I speak to white people of my age group. I make my appeal to those
of my own condition and race. I do not presume to speak on behalf of nor to black,
brown, or other minorities as I have never lived in that skin and can only in
an abstract way grasp their conditions and experiences.
But I can confidently speak of white conditions and
history.
I have as a hobby the reading of Presidential
inauguration speeches. I recently ran across the following paragraph from the Inaugural
Address of William Howard Taft given March 4, 1909.
Please consider these words from one elected to lead
this nation over one hundred years ago…
The negroes
are now Americans. Their ancestors came here years ago against their will, and
this is their only country and their only flag. They have shown themselves
anxious to live for it and to die for it. Encountering the race feeling against
them, subjected at times to cruel injustice growing out of it, they may well
have our profound sympathy and aid in the struggle they are making. We are
charged with the sacred duty of making their path as smooth and easy as we can.
Any recognition of their distinguished men, any
appointment to office from among their number, is properly taken as an
encouragement and an appreciation of their progress, and this just policy
should be pursued when suitable occasion offers.
Over one hundred years
ago the unjust conditions of black people were acknowledged as something our
nation should correct.
Taft spoke these words
forty-four years after the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery.
Racism was still a problem. Fifty-five years after Taft spoke there was
segregation in sports stadiums…still a problem.
I bring this to your
attention because, for some inexplicable reason, many of us seem to suffer some
forgetfulness of our own learned history and believe that the problem of racism
was fabricated over the last 15 to 20 years so as to promote some political
agenda.
I must point out…
We ourselves are
witnesses to the history that we ourselves learned fifty or more years ago. We
read, in our own history books, in our own predominantly white classrooms, from
mostly white teachers, about the slave trade between England, Africa, and the
colonies. We read about the Fugitive slave act of 1850 which legally compelled
citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves. Our white teachers taught
us about the lynchings, the segregated busses and drinking fountains. It was newsworthy
in 1964 when the Beatles declared that they would not perform at Jacksonville’s
Gator Bowl Stadium if it was segregated. These circumstances and conditions are
not made up, they actually happened, and we know they happened. White teachers,
in white classrooms, with textbooks written by white historians told us about
them… decades ago.
I appeal to your capacity
of reason…
The black folk that live
among us today are mostly descendants of slaves, of those segregated on busses,
and in stadiums, and schools.
Again, I’m not expecting
us to be ashamed of our race or feel guilty of personal or intentional racism.
Many white folk I know personally are
respectful, helpful, and befriending of black folk and others of color.
But also, we white folk
today are not so detached of association with our nation’s current and past
history that we can claim to have no moral duty whatsoever to address and
correct this intolerable smudge on our history. Racism is unconscionably
incompatible with American Exceptionalism.
President Taft, in his
address claims that America is now the only country of these black people. Yes,
I know that since that speech, and maybe even before, there has been a movement
of black people to reclaim their African heritage. That does not make them any
less American than white folk having pride in their Irish, Scottish, or Danish heritage.
American identity is sufficiently, and confidently hospitable of all of our
various national ancestries.
President Taft asserts
that We are charged with the sacred duty of making their path as smooth and
easy as we can.
I know, immediately some
of you may say “nothing was ever smooth and easy for me”. I assert that
comparatively speaking, we white folk have indeed experienced ease of social
movement. When we walk into a store, go to a job interview, or show up at just
about any social function, we feel confident that we fit in and fully belong
there. We do not receive raised eyebrows, double glances, or any other gesture
of surprise or awkwardness. We know our presence is welcomed without having to
offer justification for our presence.
I recently had a
conversation with a black fellow of my generation regarding such issues. He
stated that, even to this day, when he enters a room or building he first looks
for the exits in case he may need one in haste. When I enter a building I look
for the restrooms. I am preparing for my comfort while he is preparing for his
safety.
Then Taft becomes yet
more proactive…
Any
recognition of their distinguished men, any appointment to office from among their
number, is properly taken as an encouragement and an appreciation of their
progress, and this just policy should be pursued when suitable occasion offers.
Over one hundred years
ago a newly sworn in President petitioned for the intentional inclusion of
the minority into government and society as a means of correcting this
intolerable smudge on American Exceptionalism. This is not some recent strategy
of political agenda designed to diminish the conditions or status of white
folk.
It is not my goal to
point the finger of accusation so as to find personal fault with anyone.
Rather, it is my hope to invite you to be part of the solution.
In the social circles I
move are mostly white folk who will eagerly be helpful, hospitable, and
friendly to people of color. Yet still there seems to be a lack of
understanding regarding the comparative ease of social movement we experience
in contrast to the struggles of people of color.
My goal is to encourage
houses of faith, service clubs, individuals to invite people of color to visit
and describe their personal conditions or perhaps the stories of their parents
or grandparents. Mine is an appeal
to better inform my generation of white folk about the disadvantages that
people of color experience in our society. Mine is an appeal to engage the compassion of white folk to address
these conditions in whatever personal or organizational way we can.
I do not advocate for the
passage of laws, nor do I discourage laws necessary and effective toward
resolving this issue.
The condition of racism
lurks deeply within this culture. To rid ourselves of it we must be
intentional.
I offer a story from my
youth describing just how deeply we hold on to our “white preference” …
My late grandmother, a
very devout Christian and person of charity toward anyone, having once worked
in the State of Mississippi, described black folk in this manner… “The colored
folk in Mississippi are good folk. They step off the sidewalk to let white
people walk by.”
My grandmother had been
so very socially immersed in “white preference” such that she believed that
people of color displayed good character by, of their own volition, subordinating
themselves to white people.
My grandmother never
caught the irony or dissonance in her statement.
Grasping how deeply and
firmly this condition of “white preference” can be, I ask the white folk of my
generation to relax the defensiveness, the pride, the fear of irrelevance, or
whatever may be an obstacle toward fixing this problem.
I ask that we extend our
hand of brotherhood to the various minorities among us and pull them toward us.
It is an appeal to fix this problem personally, intentionally, and finally.
We, as Americans, have proven that we can reach the
moon. Our free-market capitalism continues great and relentless growth of GDP
regardless of wars, calamities, administrations, or whatever challenges have
presented themselves.
I am convinced that we are smart enough to correct
this problem. I believe our personal and national character to be compassionate
enough to be moved to rid ourselves of this evil. And, by golly, we’re American
enough to conquer this problem.
We are all that and more.
Now let’s determinedly be yet more and intentionally
make racism a thing of the past in fact.
