More Matters

The national grass-roots response to George Floyd's tragic death has been extraordinary.  Some have taken to the streets, mostly in peaceful, if emphatic, protest.  People who have never created a banner or carried a placard have found the temerity to face a policeman eye to eye to add conviction to the silent statement that things must change.

And on a personal level, there are millions like me who are engaging in belated introspection, asking ourselves if we are part of the problem, and how we might contribute to the solution.  It is the Great Silent Majority of our times who are now reading, listening, watching, pondering and talking about systemic racism, at work, at school and around the dinner table. Many of us for the first time are questioning the role, the training and the culture of our nation's police.

And across the country, many people of color, and particularly black men and women, have found their voices, and are saying things to the white community that previously may have gone unsaid. They are sharing their emotions, rubbed raw by years of suppression, and trying to explain what it is like to be black in America; and not just the stereotypical convicted felon who runs afoul of the law, but people like you and me, except for the color of their skin.  And for the first time, some of us have begun to get it: that America has three branches of government, all of which are racially biased, and all of which result in pain and suffering for a portion of our citizenry who deserve better from their country.

We are thinking globally, but in the absence of a grand plan, we are acting locally. Communities across the country are reconsidering their monuments and namesakes, some of which memorialize racists, white supremacists and slave owners.  This is driven largely by support from the white community, which has hitherto rationalized these honors, but now recognizes that when a black person sees a statue of Robert E. Lee, he does not see a tribute to skilled generalship, but rather a thinly veiled acceptance of a culture and practice that is both personal and abhorrent.

This is progress. I am encouraged that we are changing from the inside out. Empathy and conviction have entered our hearts and minds, much like during the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, or the civil rights movement in the 1960's. Yet there is always the danger that this becomes a cause celebre that fades from our attention before the system can produce a meaningful transformation.  We can't let that happen. We must keep talking, keep learning, keep challenging our elected officials to reform our systems until reality meets the ideals our country has historically embraced.

Now we understand Black Lives Matter.  Let's not forget it.