This morning I turned on the TV to Q13 Fox news to see students at a high school in Lacy walked out to protest against discrimination and racism not only the school itself, but in the school SYSTEM in general. Then after that segment, I turned to ESPN like I normally do, only to be met with headlines over NFL coach, Brain Flores, suing the National Football League over racism and discriminatory hiring practices when it comes to Black coaches in the league, then, once that was over I turned right back to the local news, only to be met AGAIN with conversations over race. Only this time it was about Washington State's historical move to hire its first Black female Supreme Court Justice.
It was crazy, everywhere I turned it was all about race in America. Racism here, racism there, racism this, racism that, and it made me think, "I wonder how white people feel about all this talk about racism?"
I wondered if they thought, "why does everything always have to be about race?" Then I started thinking about all the reasons why race seems to always come up in so many conversations.
I thought to myself, there's a reason why these conversations continue to come up... just like there's A REASON WHY there's no such thing as "White History Month.
Have you ever thought about why there's no such thing as white history month? White people don't walk around talking about, "I can't wait to celebrate white history month this year." White people aren't on CNN, Fox News, or other local or social media outlets talking about discrimination, racism, or how America needs to acknowledge or talk more about white history and white contributions to this nation. You never see white people talking about we need to teach more about white history in this country, or discrimination, or racism in this nation because the subject of white history and white contributions to this nation have never been suppressed. White people don't feel compelled to reaffirm or magnify white history and their contributions to this nation because white history and white contributions have never been underrepresented. The contributions of white America and white history are spoken of feely and frequently.
However, on the other end of the spectrum, Black people just don't wake up in the morning out of nowhere thinking, "you know what... we as a country need to magnify Black history and Black contributions to this nation more often, either. Think about that for a second... Black people don't let's highlight black history and black contributions.
White history and white contributions to this nation has never been something white people talk about because their history and contributions to this nation have never been suppressed.
But the discussion of Black history...
Yes, the discussion of Black history and Black contribution to this nation on the other hand, is something quite different.
Yes, Black people (and other indigenous ppl of color) on the other hand feel very compelled to reaffirm and magnify our history and contributions to this country, because it HAS been suppressed. Black people feel a very strong need to cast a revealing light on the history of our people in this country because it HAS been:
Misrepresented,
Underrepresented,
Not represented,
Downplayed, overlooked, stolen, or underwritten.
Black people (and other indigenous people of color) feel compelled to reaffirm and magnify our history and contributions to this country because our children are not being taught the true history of our people, the full history of our people... the hidden history of our people. The reason why this subject continues to boil to the surface and make its way to the forefront (the floors of legislation, news media outlets, Sports broadcast, podcasts and social media platforms) is because the oppression and suppression of Black and indigenous people of color continues to take place in this country. And most white people think that just because we're no longer being sold on the auction blocks, or because we're able to carve careers in sports and entertainment, or work alongside of them in corporate america, that the days of oppression and suppression or long over. But what many don't realize is that the oppression is still present and with us til this day. They don't realize that the spirit of oppression still hovers over this nation, and that it has just simply evolved and taken on newer and other forms.
But this isn't about digging up Americas sins to throw it in their face and say, "this is what you did..." No, this isn't about that at all, in fact, if we're talking about not hiding and telling the truth about history, the truth is, White America isn't the only one who have wronged our people in this way. The truth is Africans were enslaving other Africans centuries before Europeans brought us to this country and made us slaves here. What happened to our people here in America isn't the first time that this has happened.
In fact, what happened to our people here has caused me personally to consider the laws of sowing and reaping more deeply.
Not to get off subject, but real quick, just a lil side thought... think about this, have you ever lied to someone who loved you deeply, and then a person who YOU loved deeply turned around and lied to you? Or have you ever cheated on someone and then someone (or even that very same person) cheated on you? Or have you ever stolen from someone and then had someone steal from you? Its God's law of sowing and reaping. The scriptures (which cannot be broken) says, "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" right? (Galatians 6:7-8).
I found that one of the most interesting phenomenons of this day and age is the mothers of this generation. Think about it. Isn't it interesting, in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, men were having all these babies and stepping out and leaving the mothers to care for and raise the kids on their own now, from the 2000's up until the present, you're seeing more mothers than you've ever seen in any generation having babies and then stepping out and leaving them to the fathers to raise.
Isn't that something, have you ever noticed that?
But its just like God said, humans will reap what they sow. Its a universal law that transcends agriculture and touches every aspect of human life. Fathers were stepping out and leaving the women to raise the kids on their own, and now mothers are stepping out and leaving the men to raise the kids on their own.
Now that was just a quick lil side thought to consider, but back to what I was saying tho...
Yeah, I'm not interested in bringing up America's past only to say, "this is what you did to us and I'm not going to ever let you forget it." No, we need to be willing to forgive America's sins against us just like we hope God would be willing to forgive our sins against Him. The Scriptures make clear that we can't hope that God will forgive us of our sins against Him if we are unwilling to forgive those who sin against us. I don't bring up America's dark past just to throw it in their face and say, "this is what you did to us, and I'll never let you forget..." I mention it only to put in perspective for all those wonder secretly to themselves, or aloud to others, why race, or subject of racism always somehow seems to come up in every conversation that has to do with a Black person.
White people have to learn and understand that racism is deeper than simply not liking someone because of the color of their skin, white people have to learn about the STRUCTURE of racism, its roots and how its designed and then perpetuated. Racism isn't just, "I hate you because you're Black". Racism is built into the very structure and design of our nation, making it so that a person who IS white never has to open their mouth to say that they don't like Black people, they only need to keep their mouth shut and continue to benefit from a system that favors them, and racism will perpetuate itself.