“Race is the child of racism, not the father.”
– Ta-Nehisi Coates
For almost 250 years during the European presence in what is now the United States, it was legal to own fellow human beings as property. For the next 100 years, while ownership was technically illegal, the control over and restrictions put on descendants of slaves belied the illusion that “freed” slaves had true freedom. Now we stand slightly more than fifty years beyond the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Is it reasonable to expect that the last fifty years would be able to repair the damage of the prior 350?
The tragic murder of George Floyd has brought the reality of America’s systemic racism into the public consciousness anew. Will this be the moment that moves our collective mindset and cultural structures forward to a place of real freedom for all Americans, and ultimately all humans?
There is no DNA test for race. Race as represented today has evolved socially and culturally over the last four hundred years, concurrent with the expansion of colonialism, power inequities, and the taking of land by force. The way we have chosen to categorize individuals into different races is a result of this exploitative western culture, or as Ta-Nehisi Coates states so incisively, “Race is the child of racism, not the father.” This important point is worthy of more attention than this short paragraph. For a clear, scientific delineation of race and racism, we highly recommend the American Association of Physical Anthropologists Statement on Race and Racism from March, 2019.
Moral superiority is a critical component in this conception of race. In proposing a 1912 constitutional amendment to ban the marriage of blacks and whites, Congressman Seaborn Roddenberry of Georgia expressed the following on the floor of the US House of Representatives: “Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit. It is destructive of moral supremacy…”
The message of racism is clear: You are not worthy. You are not worthy to marry “our” women: illegal in sixteen states until 1967, and culturally unacceptable today among many racist Americans. You are not worthy to drink from “our” water fountains: governmentally permitted until 1964. You are not worthy to vote in “our” elections: voter suppression and extreme gerrymandering continue to this day.
The black population of the United States has endured centuries of white-inflicted societal, emotional, financial, and physical trauma. Because of that, as African American theologian Barbara Holmes says, “Post-traumatic injuries contribute to the deterioration of personal and communal health, and to intra-communal violence. These symptoms are then used by dominant culture as proof that oppression is necessary and justified.” The root cause of troubles in our minority communities is racism and oppression, and the only effective response is the elimination of the structures of racism and oppression.
“Law and order” used in defense of the current structure is nothing more than the perpetuation of oppression. True order will only exist when hearts and minds support freedom for all. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” This garment of destiny within which we are all woven is pulling us along with the gravitational force of hundreds of years of oppressive racism. It isn’t enough to be neutral or say you aren’t racist. We must fight racism with all of our might. As Angela Davis said, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
Acknowledging that we live in a racist society will be only the first step. Compassionate leaders must listen, learn, and commit to changing our broken systems. As Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, do better.” Leading with compassion means creating psychologically safe environments that not only include diverse perspectives, but actively welcome them and foster true belonging.
There is one race – the human race. We all belong to a single species and share a common descent. The work before us is to recognize our common humanity. Everyone belongs. This will take significant effort to do both the inner work and the outer work that are needed to bring change. The good news is that this is the deeply fulfilling work of love. Committing to the restoration of right relationship is work that the deepest parts of your being will recognize as true.
Photo Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-DIG-fsa-8d33365.