It is amazing what you can hear when there is no background noise. The on-field chatter during a live German soccer match in an empty stadium provides a different experience when not masked by the constant chant of “Ole, ole!” Or how we hang on every word when conversations with friends and family are one-on-one events without the distracting din of conversations at adjacent tables or Muzak from an overhead speaker. I always taught my students about the difference between hearing and listening. What I never realized, until now, was how much easier it is to listen when your ears are not bombarded with extraneous sounds.
Which brings me to the topic du jour. You may have noticed, I have avoided commenting on the “Black Lives Matter” protests following the murder of George Floyd. It was not for lack of empathy for the cause. I just felt inadequately prepared to write anything of value to add to the conversation. Until the debate over renaming military bases which are currently associated with Confederate generals. Lethal force by police against African-Americans is the ultimate manifestation of systemic racism. But there are also the thousands upon thousands of daily reminders of something short of full citizenship. Perhaps it is time we recognize this is about more than situations involving life or death. Maybe it is time to bring out posters and t-shirts which also remind us, “Black Feelings Matter.”
While the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery grab the headlines, we must also listen to the stories which do not involve physical violence. For example, Kimberly Atkins’ appearance on Deadline White House last Friday. Atkins is a senior news correspondent for WBUR, Boston’s public radio station. Before that she served as Washington bureau chief for the Boston Herald. She recounted her sense of surprise when she first arrived in the nation’s capital and found herself driving to work on the Lee Highway. She had never previously imagined anyone would name a major thoroughfare after someone who led soldiers in a war AGAINST the United States for the purpose of protecting slave owners’ right to human chattel.
There are all varieties of blatant and latent discrimination. However, with the exception of race, each of us has the ability to deny our heritage. I am not immediately identified as Jewish, of eastern European descent, liberal or over-educated. When I walked into a job interview, bought a home or applied for a mortgage, I could not be immediately profiled. And if I so chose, I could deny any or all of these distinguishing characteristics. I could “not be” who I know I am.
Not so for African-Americans. They do not have that same choice. They CANNOT “not be” black. They cannot, as some German Jews tried, attempt to disappear into the crowd by refusing to wear a yellow Star of David on their clothing. Or survive the Inquisition by surrounding themselves with the trappings of the Catholic Church.
Yet, there are occasions on which I can identify with African-Americans. When negotiating the price of a new home, I was once asked, “What are you, Jewish?” In the 1950s, there were deed restricted communities in my home town of Richmond, Virginia which banned Jewish families. Some of my schoolmates came from those communities. Though I suspect they never looked at me in class and thought, “He’s one of them.”
Reflecting on those experiences, I now realize I was wrong. It does not matter whether I have distinguishing physical traits which set me apart. As I watched neo-Nazis march at my alma mater, I could not “not be” Jewish. Just as Kimberly Atkins cannot “not be” black, even when she is in the isolation of her own car, when no one is looking at her. She does not need external validation of her status in American society. But, neither should I.
When it comes to realizing the genesis of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, I keep hearing that old refrain, “You can’t understand how someone feels until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Easier said than done. Instead, maybe the answer lies in the ability of each of us to walk a mile in our own shoes.
There is a musical number in the Broadway show Avenue Q titled, “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.” The final chorus contains the following lyrics.
If we all could just admit that we are racist a little bit.
And everyone stopped being so P.C.
Maybe we could live in harmony.
That only comes about when each of us recognizes the inconvenient truth we cannot “not be” biased and takes a moment to understand what that means and how it should make us feel.
For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP
Sooo well said! And I like your idea for another slogan.
Excellent. I have always asked that when a White protestant, a Jew and a black man are walking down the street together, who will be noticed first? I always recall something from over 50 years ago. A fellow Jewish co- worker sitting at lunch with me and a black co-worker remarked how he was “the most liberal person in the world.” I tried to imagine how that black man felt when he heard those words. They are still heard today, followed by the word “but.” When that phrase is eliminated, we will have come to a long way toward the understanding of the feelings of “people of color.”