I am currently reading Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North. This is the tale of the civil rights battles outside of the south; outside the national spotlight that ignored racism beyond Dixie's borders.African-Americans moved north (and west) by the hundreds of thousands looking for freedom and opportunity. What they found was a lot of talk about equality and freedom and very little action. Northern whites talked a great game but [w]couldn't produce an equal society. Freedom riders rode into the lions den while the nation ignored Jim Crow's northern territory. Civil rights leaders dismantled school segregation in the north only to see whites flee the school districts for suburban and parochial schools. Eliminating official segregation gave communities the ability to "ignore" color while schools resegregated at an alarming rate. This is where we find ourselves today. The five most segregated states in the country are beyond southern borders (New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, and California). Likewise, the most segregated major cities in America are outside of Dixie.
Now that we are "color-blind" we can talk about moving in order to get the best education for our children without even nearing the issue of race. When we replaced segregated schools with "neighborhood" schools we gained the ability to ignore the socio-economic and "legal" limits that prevent[ed] people of color from moving from racial and economic ghettos. We integrated schools and segregated communities. This is why the word "urban" has become synonymous with "black". Urban schools, urban neighborhoods, and urban style are synonymous with black schools, black neighborhoods, and black style. The city has been abandoned and left, in large part, to people of color.
But I am not racist, my family is not racist and my ancestors were not racist and never owned slaves, why do I have to sacrifice myself, my kids, my family because of the sins of others? This is the question much of white America wants answered.
Baseball analogy from John Perkins:
- It's the ninth inning.
- The home team has been cheating the entire game and has a 20 point lead.
- With pressure from many sides the home team promises not to cheat so obviously.
- The home team refuses to start the game over or even the score.
- The umpire sides with the home team because the past is past and we should look to the future.
- The visiting team starts to walk off the field in anger/despair/disgust.
- The home team says "Hey, aren't you going to finish the game?"
- You are a player running very late to the game and come upon this situation.
- You're on the home team
- What do you do?
- What do you do if you are in the visiting team?
A note emailed from a neighborhood friend:
ReplyDeleteBoycott the rigged game and start a new league with the boycotters of the visiting team. True, there won't be many in attendance and the money to play won't be there, but, those who truly love the game and want to play with integrity will play. Play better baseball and those who love baseball will come to support your game and sit on lawn chairs, or whatever, because you can't afford any bleachers.
George
Thanks George. My initial thought was to join the visiting team but you are right that the game is still rigged. I like the idea of a less flashy/funded, more real game anyway. I imagine there is already an alternative league fielding teams. How do I join?
ReplyDeleteRod
What, exactly, are you being asked to sacrifice?
ReplyDeleteThanks Cynthia, I was wondering if anyone would catch that. It's horrible language, right? The idea that integrating would be sacrificing something good or important. Since we switched the conversation from race and racism to one of opportunity and choice we can say things like I heard on the lips of a well meaning white parent thinking of moving to the city: "I have seen too many children sacrificed to public education [to send my kids to public school]." Many have similar attitudes toward violence and crime. The white population in my neighborhood soars during daylight hours but I am hard pressed to find a couple white faces after dark. I gather this is a safety concern as I have heard irrational fears first hand from people of my similar hue. These are very thinly veiled references to race and racist attitudes. It may not feel like it because we white folk have the luxury of pretending that race, racism and racist attitudes are not the foundation of our socio-economic system. When we open our minds and hearts to the possibility that race plays a much larger role in our society than we realize then we begin to be confronted my the reality of racism on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear that I feel as though the things I have to sacrifice to live and work where I do are things I can live a much more rich and full life without. The things that I gain from living and working where I do grant me even more richness and fullness.
What do you think?