Sometimes there isn’t anything more you think you can write or say. Helplessness envelops your being, swallowing any hope you may have had of providing a solution to a problem, offering words of condolence, or giving a different take on an event. That is why, in light of the tragedies in the United States last week-the murder of Alton Sterling & Philando Castile, the assassination of five Dallas police officers: Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Lorne Ahrens-I have decided to turn to a few other authors who I encountered this week, in order to provide a chance to meditate, reflect upon, and hopefully be inspired to act as a voice of justice for the oppressed.
“A large part of our attitude toward things is conditioned by opinions and emotions which we unconsciously absorb as children from our environment. In other words, it is tradition—besides inherited aptitudes and qualities—which makes us what we are. We but rarely reflect how relatively small as compared with the powerful influence of tradition is the influence of our conscious thought upon our conduct and convictions…It would be foolish to despise tradition. But with our growing self-consciousness and increasing intelligence we must begin to control tradition and assume a critical attitude toward it, if human relations are ever to change for the better. We must try to recognize what in our accepted tradition is damaging to our fate and dignity—and shape our lives accordingly.”
-Albert Einstein
“25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.””
-Luke 10:25-37
“As a white child, you are afforded a range of privileges and protections that children of color are not afforded and it’s important for you to recognize this and actively work to change it. This is deeply and historically rooted. This country was founded, yes on optimism and pluralism, but also on slave labor, exploitation, violence, dehumanization. Don’t get bogged down in the guilt or shame of this history, but know it. Your story, our story, is a part of that.
The only way to “move on” from that reality is to never “move on,” to understand that just as people of color have to spend a lifetime thinking about their own skin color and how it affects the way they are able to walk through the world, you are walking through the world, this country, this city, these streets, as a white person.
Make it a part of your daily consciousness even when it seems tiring and burdensome (this is not a choice for people of color, nor is it for you). Commit to interrogating the privileges that you inherit and constantly look for creative ways to subvert hierarchies, redistribute power, connect the unconnected.
Understand that this isn’t about being a “good white person.” This is about being brave and convicted and imperfect and tireless and loving and devastated and sometimes feeling dumb about how to make change and taking it personally. You are not above bias and racism. Apologize when you say or do something racist. Shut up and ask questions.
Make real friends who will push you and hold you accountable. Push and hold other white people accountable. Push and hold other white people accountable. Push and hold other white people accountable.”
-Courtney E. Martin
Like the United States, South Africa continues to struggle with a “tradition of racism,” as Einstein wrote. Although the apartheid government was ousted with the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, institutionalized inequality, stemming from apartheid-era policies, persists. Like the United States, whites hold the upper-hand and are privileged to live life without having to face the multiple threats non-whites face far too often. The preserved ideal of white privilege throughout the world, which Courtney Martin discussed in her On Being blog post, is a detrimental side-effect of a far deeper problem, one rooted in the foundation of human nature and history.
On Sunday, I attended Central Methodist Mission Church in Greenmarket Square, downtown Cape Town. It was my third time worshipping with the diverse, social justice driven, and spiritually vibrant congregation, whose Pastor, Alan Storey, is the son of anti-apartheid activist, Peter Storey, who our group has the opportunity to meet last month. I have been trying to hear Alan preach, but each week I went, he was away serving another congregation and each week I didn’t go he preached. Well, Alan and I, as my sister described, were once again “two ships passing in the night.” Despite his absence, Gilbert Lawrence, who also spoke with our group about his involvement in the struggle, proclaimed the word, centered on the above reading from Luke.
One of Jesus’ most famous stories, the parable of the Good Samaritan, spoke to the heart of what had been on my mind for the few days prior. In this dialogue, Jesus emphasizes the necessity for us to treat everyone, no matter one’s race, gender, ethnicity, economic status, beliefs, appearance, skin color, whatever, like a child of God. Everyone, in Jesus’ eyes, is equal and thus deserves the same respect, rights, freedoms, opportunities, protection, and love as the other.
I think the root of racism and all forms of prejudice stems from our inability to accept others as our neighbors and treat them as equals. When we seek money, power, and success above all else, we sacrifice relationships with those around us: instead of seeking to help each other, we seek to find the best way to get ahead, take advantage of our relative position in society, create laws that keep one group on top and in control, enslave or use people who cannot advocate for themselves, take what is not rightfully ours, or even kill to get what we want. And when people are bruised, used, and abused, divisions occur in our communities, nation, and world. Divisions that cannot be easily fixed. Divisions that have caused great injustice, hate, and fear. Divisions that lead to senseless violence. Divisions that prevent compromise. Divisions that perpetuate stubbornness, arrogance, and bigotry. Divisions that take a long time and a tremendous effort to heal.
The healing process will be arduous, which is a realization that has turned many off from the idea of usurping existing inequalities to create a new world of equality. Yet, as I have learned countless times through the past twenty years, when you invest great time and effort into a cause, it usually yields results better than you could ever have imagined.
