In August I wrote about the
fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, in Ferguson,
Missouri. Protesters conducted a series
of vigils, marches, and other acts of mostly peaceful assembly after the first
several days following the incident, during which violent acts of civil
disobedience ensued.
On Monday of last week, the
District Attorney announced a finding of No True Bill, which means, no criminal
charges will filed against Officer Wilson.
After the decision, which was announced at approximated 9:00 p.m.
EST. News outlets announced early Monday
afternoon that the Grand Jury had reached its decision, which for sometime had
widely been assumed to be no indictment of the Officer. Given that dynamic, a host of factions and
citizens had positioned themselves in various places around the City of
Ferguson to await the announcement.
As the hours passed, many observers
openly questioned why the announcement was being delayed. More wondered if it would actually be made at
night, or whether the D.A. would wait until the next morning. Once it was made clear that the D.A. would
announce the results of the decision at 8:00 p.m. local time, there was a near
universal outcry in the media suggesting that this was a bad call.
Making the announcement at
night ensured that local law enforcement and the assembled members of the
National Guard would have a much more challenging job controlling what was
almost certain to be multiple rowdy gatherings.
It would have been difficult to create a more volatile mixture, if one
had planned to so…which is exactly what some skeptics accused the D.A. of
doing.
Given the preceding
stipulations, not surprisingly, the D.A., Robert McCulloch, announced the Grand
Jury had not found probable cause to indict Officer Wilson, so No True Bill was
issued. Equally unsurprising, riots and
looting broke out in Ferguson.
This matter of Brown’s
killing has now been front-and-center, or near center for three and a half
months. The most recent violence, after
nearly three months of peaceful protest, reignited a spate of national
psychoanalysis of the black community, played out daily in various media
outlets. The one sure thing that has
resulted from the country responding to a proverbial open invitation to discuss
race matters is a reminder that no matter how much so-called racial progress we
have made in this country, the central view of blacks and whites on the matter
is poles apart.
Almost certainly, there are
blacks folks and white folks who agree on the big picture pieces of the
subject. I am not convinced, however,
that agreement is representative of the majority of blacks or whites.
As I read the comment
sections of news articles and social media outlets in which a white person
cites with full-throated authority that black folks’ problems inure from
black-on-black murders, a la Rudy Giuliani, or welfare dependence, per Dinesh
D’Souza, or the race-baiters, according to Rush Limbaugh, there is almost
always a chorus of apparently white voices who can hardly wait their turn to
echo the lead voice, and most often illuminate further, for good measure.
Similarly, when I see a
black person write or voice what seems to me a well-reasoned, even balanced
perspective, whether it be Leonard Pitts who countered the Mayor Giuliani’s
rant by explaining that murder is a crime of opportunity and/or proximity,
which results in the majority of white murders being committed by whites (83%),
or Ta-Nahisi Coates reminding us that this country actually had a very violent
beginning (see Africans and Native Americans), or President Obama recognizing
that there have been aspects of the legal system that have been historically
applied to African Americans in an inequitable fashion, these same white folks,
or their ideological twins race to the fore to note that the black writer or
speaker, no matter who it is, presents a racist argument.
In a previous space in my
life, I spent a fair amount of time participating in and in a number of
instances, leading diversity initiatives.
I came to recognize that as a matter of course, many white folks enter
such conversations with the intractable point of view that racism is a false
construct. That is to say, many white
Americans believe racism does not exist.
Some of these people are willing to concede that it did exist “once upon
a time,” but they insist that it was eliminated long ago…and they add, no, they
are not racist.
How could they be, since
there is no such thing?
A popular argument is that this
country ended slavery, and when it did so, the playing field, for all practical
purposes became pretty much even.
Others, while not making that assertion, argue civil rights laws were
enacted in the 60’s, and that ended discrimination. Ergo, with the elimination of racism, and the
end of discrimination, any remaining inequity experienced by blacks in America
is on blacks themselves, pure and simple.
After years of sifting
through different variations of “I am not a racist,” I do not discriminate,”
and essentially, “it’s not my fault,” I began to see American History in a much
more compelling way. I understood, with
much greater clarity, what my parents, teachers, advisers, and mentors meant
when they talked about the sacrifices our forefathers made to lay the
foundation for the progress I am privileged to enjoy today. May God bless all of them!
Those people did not have an
opportunity to discuss such matters in a format even remotely intended to
represent equals. They were not merely
subjected to electronic bullying and belittling; they were physically
assaulted, maimed, or even killed for daring to express an opinion that might
be deemed out of line or uppity, as it were.
So in comparison, I can almost understand why today, a person could in
good conscious contend that there is no such thing as racism, and that discrimination
is dead…almost. But not really.
Newsflash! Racism and discrimination are alive and
well. Not everything bad that happens to
black folk is a result of either. But
the fact is, it would be a lot easier to foster and maintain a dialogue, and to
move forward if, these pernicious behaviors and practices were called what they
are when they do occur, and dealt with accordingly. A popular meme from the 1970’s is “No justice,
no peace.” I cannot simply issue a
demand that anyone concede racism and discrimination exist. I understand that. But if there is some kind hopeful notion,
that if you bury your head in the sand long enough, all this “stuff” will somehow
blow over, I have a one word response for you…WRONG!
Moreover, if that strategy
makes its way into public policy, I envision a reprise of that 70’s meme…”No
justice, no peace!” Sadly, for now, that
pretty much sums up “Ferguson: The Aftermath!”
I’m done; holla back!
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