I’m asking myself, “Why can’t I be quiet?”
It’s been over a month. Why can’t I just let it go. Honestly, my suburban lifestyle hasn’t change. My kids are fine. The shut down has been financially favorable for us. Why can’t I move on? Just stop talking about racial inequities in this country. Obviously, they are not affecting me. So, Melissa just be quiet.
But I can’t.
This quote explains why black people can’t move on:
“To understand, you have to know that Black people think in terms of Black people. We don’t see a shooting of an innocent Black child in another state as something separate from us because we know viscerally that it could be our child, our parent, or us, that is shot.”
We know, no matter how much money we make, how many degrees we have, how much we do the right thing, when we step into this world and out from the confounds of our safe spaces, our blackness, is all the world sees.
It was all the gentlemen saw when he pulled beside me and told me to go back to Africa.
It was all the tax preparer saw when completing our taxes and decided James was a maintenance man and I was a secretary.
It was all the gentleman saw in the park when I told him I worked at PCHS and he asked if I worked in the cafeteria.
It was all the gentleman saw when I was tutoring a young white kid and he assumed the kid was tutoring me.
It is what the HSPD see when they pull my child over for a ticket.
You see, my white brothers and sisters, that is why black people think in terms of Black People. As a Caucasian, no matter how bad your childhood may have been, no matter how poor you may have been, when you step out into the world, no one can look at you and immediately tell. A police officer doesn’t look at you and make detrimental assumptions because of the color of your skin. The world doesn’t make immediate judgements about you.
You can outrun your past. We can’t outrun our color.
My dear white brothers and sisters, I’m not asking you to feel guilty about that, I am asking you to acknowledge it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a victim. I don’t consider myself oppressed. I know who I am in Christ. I know that in Him, I’m an overcomer. I know he doesn’t even my playing field, but gives me an advantage. I know, He is for me and my children and the weapon of racism will not prevail over my family. This I know.
But I also know, I have a responsibility to be a voice for my brothers and sisters who may not have that revelation.
I know, my heart hurts every time a black person is killed unjustly either by the police or white vigilantes.
I know I am sick when I see the economic disparities within this country.
I know as a country we can do better. I know as God’s people, we are commanded to do better.
I guess that is why I WON’T BE QUIET.
“learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”
Isaiah 1:17 ESV