There was a meme floating around a few days ago, consisting of two captioned photos. The first photo showed Martin Luther King marching alongside Ralph Abernathy and some other African-American men; the caption read "This is a demonstration." The second photo showed folks, mostly black folks, looting a big box store; that caption read, "This is looting."
I have no problem with the juxtaposition of the photos and their captions. Both are objectively true. But having grown up in the era of that first photo and having paid attention to the nightly news during that time, I'm compelled to point out that most white folks we lived around lost their minds over the first photo. They seemed certain that a simple act of standing up for your rights would lead to the second photo, looting and burning. To me, that goes a long way toward explaining the dilemma we find ourselves in.
The argument, then, was that black Americans should be patient, be like other "immigrants," wait their turn, don't get pushy. You can't change peoples' hearts overnight, my grandmother told me.
I can't speak for black folks in America obviously, but I think they would like the country to honor the promises in its founding documents: that all men are created equal and are entitled to the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that the US Constitution, amended by the 13th. 14th, 15th, and 24th Amendments, guarantees them full rights of citizenship.
I think they would like white Americans to acknowledge they're not asking for their rights as a "handout" or an undeserved favor. Black Americans built much of America's agricultural economy from the 17th century on. The foundations of our great cities, of New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Mobile, New Orleans and others were laid by black workers who were kidnapped and brought here as chattel. The great public buildings in our Capitol were built by black Americans who had little choice in the matter. Grand plantation houses, real and imagined, like Monticello, Mount Vernon, Tara, among others, were built and adorned by enslaved laborers and craftsman.
Black Americans fought to free the colonies from Great Britain. They served in the hundreds of thousands -- and died in the tens of thousands -- from 1861 to 1865 as American soldiers to gain the freedom they should never have been denied. Since then -- in hundreds of battle and scores of wars -- they served, defended, and died for a country that more often than not erased their heroism and sacrifice from our national narrative.
The men in the first photo sought change through non-violence. They bet their lives that their countrymen would flinch at the thought of black women, men and children being beaten and killed in their streets and neighborhoods. It wasn't a safe bet by any means, as we saw in Birmingham, Montgomery, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania and Mississippi), and Memphis; the last where Martin Luther King was assassinated. They weren't asking for favors from their white countrymen, they were demanding only what they were guaranteed.
Decades later, black men, women and children die at the hands of police who are absolved of responsibility, too often, by prosecutors who are trying to protect their cities and counties from increased insurance premiums due to successful litigation, or prosecutors who fear offending police officers and their unions who might support an opponent in the next election. Black men, women and children are harrassed and killed by vigilantes and their protectors in the courts and law enforcement.
Only a few weeks ago, we saw men and women -- almost all white -- tricked out in military gear and many sporting rifles and sidearms, demanding access to bars, restaurants, barber shops, hair salons. movie theaters and such. With their camo and body armor and varied accoutrement. I couldn't help but think of young Medgar Evers, similarly dressed and equipped, on June 6th, 1944 wading ashore on a Normandy beach because his country expected it of him. And of Medgar Evers, two decades later, shot dead in his driveway because he wanted to vote, because his Constitution guaranteed him the right and because he was impatient enough to expect his country would keep its word.
They have waited long enough. Their lives matter, and they have a right to their rage.
Posts
