Systemic Racism

We've debated saying anything... but this makes us complicit with the problem.

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We’ve spent a lot of time over the past weeks in shock over the unnecessary loss of lives of our brothers and sisters with black or brown skin. As we become increasingly aware of our own racism, and I’m defining that as being a beneficiary of a system that has perpetuated advantage to people with whiter skin and disadvantage to people with darker skin, we feel duped, we grieve, we rage, we apologize, we lament, we care.

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Living in Kenya for the last 10 years, a collectivist culture, as opposed to our formative experience in white America’s individualist culture, has opened our eyes to parts of this issue that have increased our understanding and subsequently, our empathy. We’ve been surprised (actually ignorant) in realizing black America is primarily collectivist in thought. That changes everything. In a collectivist mindset, if you’ve wronged one, you’ve done it to all.

Take the George Floyd situation.

• An individualist mindset thinks of George Floyd and the police officer who murdered him as, one guy committing a crime who died at the hand of another guy with race and anger issues. Both were wrong. I’m neither. So I’m okay.
• A collectivist mindset thinks about how our community, our livelihoods, our futures, our very existence is at risk. We will stand and rally together.

To think more collectivist, it helps me to think of George as if he were my child or brother. Even though I would disagree with his behavior (being high and using counterfeit money), I would be enraged if a police officer killed my son because of it. The same for Breonna, Trayvon, Rayshard, etc.

If these precious people were my children, 

I would fight passionately for justice on their behalf.
Every. Time. 

 

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So, we, as a family are asking ourselves...Can we not come alongside our friends of color in a collective way and apologize for the gross injustices that have been meted out on them for centuries at the hands of white Americans? Can we not build bridges towards them in their pain and trauma and hear their stories and listen to their hearts? Will we not fight together with them for justice?

In my job, when I deal with a child who has been traumatized, who rages against everything, destroying property, screaming words of hate, lashing out against all adults because they all represent a threat, our response is compassion and understanding and patient love. We apologize for the wrong done to them even though we didn’t do it. We promise to keep them safe. We work for justice in the courts.

And trust grows over time. 

I have been categorically impressed by the way our black brothers and sisters have handled this systemic issue of racism with dignity and grace and respect. But there is a lot of pain there, and they are a critical members of America and of the body of believers who need others to come alongside them, mourn with them, listen to them, and pay attention to them to heal.

All of us who are white have been ignorant and complicit in benefiting from our skin color for generations (think collectivist). I/We also have not stood up for injustice like we should because I/we were unaware of it and/or ignored it. And that makes me - ME, from an individualist perspective - and US, from a collectivist perspective, racist. Not radical, KKK racist, but subtle, separatist racist. 

It’s time for me to change. It’s time for us to change. 

The bottom line in all of this is, the racial tension in the world is a white problem. Our skin is white, so we’re part of the problem.  We’re listening and we will work for change.

The world is already different than it was two weeks ago and that means we're heading in a growing direction.

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Check out these resources we've been reading together as a family that have created good conversation in our household, they are only a few of MANY.

Articles & Short Vids:
Phil Vischer "Racial Injustice has Benefited Me - A Confession" 

Phil Vischer "Why Are People Talking About Race?"

The Oatmeal "You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you."
Dr. Anita Phillips - Body Language
Robin Diangelo - "Why it's so hard to talk to White People About Racism."

Books:
I'm Still Here, Black Dignity in a World Made for Whites by Austin Channing Brown

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Solitary by Albert Woodfox

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

White Fragility by Robin Diangelo

Movies:
13TH
Just Mercy
Harriet

Join/Follow:
- Be the Bridge on Facebook. Just listen and learn.
- Shaun King on Instagram. When you get tired of the feed, imagine how tired people must be from experiencing it.