This is not just about Baltimore Part 1 of 3

For the past few years, #BlackLivesMatter has been a hashtag circulating the net and reverberating in the hearts of people around the nation and the world. While many understand the importance and meaning of this movement, others post and say comments that detract from its intention. It’s easy to call these people stupid or racist. And while that retort is quite handy considering the size of the population to which it applies, I choose to believe that many are saying so out of sheer ignorance. Because surely, if people were educated about the reasons and roots of what’s happening and being said, they would understand better.

So this and the next 2 blog posts is my effort to attempt to educate those would misunderstand and misconstrue the current actions and situations. Each of these is a comment/question that I have seen on my Facebook timeline, heard from my acquaintances and seen posted on the net. If you have said or felt any of these, I urge you to consider engaging in conversation so this division can be healed. I expect we may not agree on everything. But I also expect that education on both sides can only help to create empathy and mutual support.

“Racism is a thing of the past. We have a Black president, for God’s sake.”

Ok. First, only two generations ago, people were being killed on the basis of their skin color. Only two generations ago, people were being regarded as inferior on the basis of skin color. “Only two generations ago” was my grandmother’s generation. It’s absolutely ludicrous to think that those ideas have died when the people who had them are still alive.

To me, it seems like an absolute asinine thing to say. To think this quickly exposes what is commonly referred to as “white privilege.” Many people are offended when they hear this. They think, “my life was hard,” or “I wasn’t privileged.” But let me assure you that this does not refer to nor negate your struggle or your economic stature. This simply refers to the fact that you get to forego some additional or initial hurdles simply because you are white.

When I meet some people and they find out I’m over 30, have never had any kids, they are surprised and applaud me for that; as if that, not my education, my career or any other accomplishments, is the greatest feather in my cap.

When I mention that I have a stepfather, but that I not only know my biological father but he has always been in my life, that impresses them. When I talk about my single guy friends who don’t have several kids, people are shocked.

Sometimes there’s an expectation that Black equals poor, uneducated, government assisted or non-productive, sub-citizens. I am aware that everyone does not believe that. But it is a notion that is accepted by many. Not being a Black person affords you the luxury to not have to supersede that stereotype before engaging in a conversation, interviewing for a job or simply entering an establishment to make a purchase.

Those of us who have had to give our resume or validate our education or experiences in situations where, for others, it is not necessary to do so, understand that having a Black president has done little to help that. We understand this mainly because he constantly has to do the same.

Having a Black president means it’s less racist, not that racism is a thing of the past. In reality, having a Black president has revealed more racists and uncovered some latent racist thinking of people who would claim to be otherwise.

The job of President is difficult. But as a Black president, Obama has had to spend more time defending his qualifications and nationality than others. So the example of a Black president does more to discredit this argument than to support it.

Consider it a privilege that you don’t have to explain to people that you voted for Obama because you assessed the economic and social perils of the country and agreed with his policies rather than something as superficial as his skin color.

Consider it a privilege to walk into Michael Kors and the staff immediately asks to help you rather than assuming you’re just window-shopping because it’s so expensive.

Consider it a privilege to think that racism only exists in the few hate groups left (according to SPLC, over 723 known groups with over 418 known websites, amount of members undetermined).

Consider it a privilege to not know that racism runs deep and true and there’s always a danger of being prematurely judged, underestimated or even killed.

Consider it a privilege to not know that having a Black president does nothing to alleviate this.

“People who keep posting these cases are just race-baiting.”

What you just said was, “The problems you’re talking about are just made up.”

These are not just made-up stories to further an agenda. Can they be misused? Yes. But we didn’t make up the fact these men are being buried at an alarming rate. We are not fabricating the sense of loss and depth of a mother’s pain. We are not creating the anguished cries of a father.

Our fear, sadness and anger are not contrived emotions to incite violence and promote hatred. They are not dreamed up feelings constructed to excuse bad behaviors and evoke feelings of guilt from other races. They are simply genuine and real emotions and feelings in response to being targeted in a way that is not suffered or is suffered differently by other groups.

This is not race-baiting. This is race-stirring. We are trying to wake up the minds of people who are affected. We are trying to show them we have power if we choose to use it. We are showing them that, despite how society forces us to feel, we are worth the fight.

Society has pacified us with minor improvements masquerading as equality and justice, put us to sleep with lullabies of inadequacy, bottles of fear and fairytales of non-existent racism. This isn’t a call to violence. This is wake-up call.

Much like hiding behind the election of a man of color, it is so easy to dub this outrage as race-baiting. It is time that we take a closer look at what is happening. If electing Obama magically fixed the race issue, we would not have so many deaths at the hands of officers in the Black community. If electing Obama magically fixed the race issue, we would not have such a lack of accountability of those deaths. This is what brings about the anger. Knowing the effect is important. But we have to take an even closer look at the cause.

*Photo courtesy of www.dailykos.com