Who We Are

Last week, Dave and I watched Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America on Netflix. I am strongly encouraging you to go watch it now, as in stop reading and go watch. I promise I'll be here when you're done, ready to debrief with you.

<waiting patiently>

Since you've all watched, I am free to talk about the specifics. Jeffery Robinson brilliantly lays out the case for the structural racism in our country. He uses direct quotes and specific examples, relating them to their place in history and our collective refusal to level this playing field. Let me be very clear: I'm using first person pronouns to refer to White America's attachment to the structures of racism against citizens who identify as part of BIPOC communities. I do not specifically mean people that I know, although part of the brilliance of this lecture is recognizing the part each of us who identify as caucasian (I struggle to call myself 'white', as that really isn't a race--I refuse to answer any demographics question if my only option is 'White'. Caucasian is a stretch, too, but it's the better alternative, for now anyway.) 

His examples are compelling, and in my humble opinion, irrefutable. Structural racism is not only real, but alive and well in 2022. I won't retell all of his evidence-- he does it so much better than I could (go watch if you ignored my earlier nudging)-- but suffice it to say I was left speechless. 

I can't remain speechless for any longer. I walk a line as a public employee, needing to remain apolitical personally, but to also speak up for those in my charge who come from marginalized communities. Which means, I can't fully do one or the other. Having watched this documentary, however, I can no longer comfortably choose my silence when it means those around me risk suffering. Maya Angelou and James 4:17 both remind us that when you know better you do better. Today, I know better, and I am promising to do better. For the last few years, I've made sure to include the BIPOC perspective in my history lessons, and made sure to apologize for the years I perpetuated the myth that the Civil War was NOT about racism. I am sorry it took me this long to correct that narrative, and many others I didn't even know about due to whitewashing.

If we are going to move on from this horrible part of our history, we need to do what the Germans do: acknowledge it, learn from it, and change our behavior. I am committing to doing that, and advocating for those who need my voice to stand up for their rights, regardless of the political consequences that befall me.

It's not easy, knowing who we are, but so very important to becoming who we are all meant to be.