A Race Relations Revolution? Not quite necessary.
A Race Relations Revolution? Not quite necessary.
Recently, Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson penned a column (here: http://klou.tt/thiwom1lftxj) expressing his idea that America needs to "revolutionize" race relations (his words). While Mr. Tyson does make a few good points, he also proffers for consideration a few points, characterizations and commentary on inevitabilities with which I must respectfully disagree. "Revolutionize" race relations? Whether Mr. Tyson wrote solely in response to recent events in Ferguson, New York or nearby Sanford or seizing an opportunity to write about some long-held beliefs, I feel he's off base.
Ferguson? A competent and duly sworn grand jury saw no probable cause to indict former officer Darren Wilson with any crime at all- though they had full judicial discretion to levy any number of charges against him should they have seen fit to do so. A number of black "witnesses" from the night of Michael Brown's death either recanted their initial statements to police during the investigation into it once confronted with evidence directly disputing them- while some maintained their stories even when proven to be patently false.
Let it be noted as clearly and as explicitly as I possibly can: not one hint of malice or racial animus on the part of Darren Wilson has been proven- NOT ONE HINT. Likewise, not one scintilla of evidence has surfaced that points to racism playing any part in the death of Michael Brown or the events immediately preceding it- not one scintilla.
This begs the question: Are Al Sharpton, Ben Crump and others the true racists? Are they the opportunistic race-hustling vultures they seem to be- swarming in once one of the rare instances of a white killing a black arises? A case can surely be made that they are either 1) ignorant to realities with which they disagree or 2) are fully aware of the realities on the ground in Ferguson and elsewhere, yet dismiss that which doesn't fit their race-hustling narrative. The latter seems most likely- for the notion that all Americans might one day "get along" just isn't good for Race-Hustling, Incorporated.
Regardless of his race, Michael Brown should have complied with Darren Wilson's directions. That's what law-abiding individuals do, but for some reason (perhaps the robbery he'd recently committed), Brown chose a different path- and that path he chose ended his life. But for his actions, he would be alive today. He'd likely be in jail or out on bond awaiting trial on a felony robbery charge- but alive nonetheless.
New York? I was personally horrified by the video of Eric Garner being taken down and the audio of his efforts to breathe. An arrest or takedown which appears horrifying (my words) isn't necessarily an illegal one, though. And sometimes things just stink.
However loudly groups of agitators proclaim it- and despite many with criminal minds who look upon Garner's death as a godsend which allows them to steal from their neighbors in his name, not one shred of evidence exists that race played a part in it.
The mere fact that a white officer was involved in a series of events where a black man died hardly means their respective whiteness and blackness contributed to the death at all. Might Officer Daniel Pantaleo have violated NYPD policies of some sort while attempting to effect Garner's arrest? Sure- and if an ongoing review of the incident reveals clear and convincing evidence of wrongdoing, I'll pledge my support for his suffering the consequences for doing so.
In terms of whether race played a role in Garner's death, however, I'll stand by the fact that no proof of the sort has ever been presented- as well as the words of Garner's widow and daughter on the matter. While each of them maintains Pantaleo is a "murderer" and should pay for his "crime", neither of them believes racism played a role in his actions preceding Garner's death.
Though many protest Garner's passing, the events just ahead of it were observed by Pantaleo's supervisor who had arrived on the scene early on in the encounter. That officer- NYPD Sergeant Kizzy Adoni- is a black female. That's right- a black female sergeant observed the circumstances leading to Eric Garner's last breaths and made no efforts to help him. Apparently, she saw no reason to intervene on his behalf.
Does racism still exist in America? Most assuredly. But there are as many (or more) questionable killings of white suspects by black officers which fail to garner any attention at all. Some of these black officers have never been charged. There are white officers responsible for the deaths of blacks who were charged for it. While racism does exist, it's not a danger which awaits us around every corner or behind every bush.
Perhaps that is where any "revolution" in race relations might best begin: with the realization and acknowledgement of the fact that we do society and our posterity no favors if we first seek to paint every disagreement between folks of different races as stemming solely from the racial differences and lacking no other aspects meriting consideration.
Dr. King himself might even remark that while the struggle for absolute equality continues on toward its as-yet unfulfilled goal, the efforts of many will have been in vain if we're neglectful in recognizing progress toward "the prize".
My native "Bombingham" has made a world of progress since the days of Bull Connor and Democratic governor George Wallace. My city's had a black mayor continuously since Dr. Richard Arrington, Jr. took office in 1979. My friend A.C. Roper now serves as the city's second black police chief in a row- following in the footsteps of the first one, former chief Annetta Nunn. A majority of the City Council is black- and Alabama's congressional district in which Birmingham falls has been represented by the likes of both Earl Hilliard and Artur Davis.
One a life-long Democrat and the other a Democrat-turned-Republican, both are likely to give credit to Republicans like Dr. King and others who paved the way for them to be anything they wanted to be. Lastly, I look upon my friend Dr. Brian Sims- whom I'm more of than he'll ever know. "BSims" (as I call him) is a neo-natal care physician- and currently the first black attending physician in the history of University (U.A.B.) Hospital's neo-natal unit.
I was fortunate to know (though not closely) a giant of the civil rights era in Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. Rev. Shuttlesworth endured numerous beatings and had his home bombed no less that 3 times while integrating Phillips High School for his daughter's sake in the city that would feel the pain of "four little girls'" deaths in the basement of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church a few years later. One can find yet another example of Birmingham's progress rising above the rubble of that tragedy- as one of the little girls' childhood friends, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arguably lived the dream Dr. King envisioned.
All of the aforementioned said, it's incredibly difficult to reconcile the efforts and lessons learned from Birmingham with the events of today and their protests. In days of old, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Rev. Shuttlesworth and others founded had a motto that "Not a hair of one head of one person should be harmed"- yet whether owing to desperation, bold opportunism or pure malice, protesters of today deny solid evidence in favor of the latest rhetoric from a race-hustler's bullhorn and see no problem with violence.
I survey the landscape of race in America today and keep returning to a few things I believe to be true. First, the man whose been elected twice and now serves as our nation's first black president would never have seen his name on the ballot- let alone on the cover of an Inaugural program- were it not for progress. Secondly, it's sad that a president afforded an opportunity to positively influence American race relations like none before him has all but squandered that opportunity.
Though his administration often chooses to fan the flames of racial discord and divisiveness rather than to encourage unity, the fact that he resides in a big house on D.C.'s Pennsylvania Avenue is still progress. Mr. Tyson- if he's honest with himself and others- would also have to admit that years ago, the only way he would've seen the inside of Kaiser Permanente's board room would've been if he'd had a job cleaning it. Progress has allowed him to sit in the best chair in the room.
Whether on the road for a family vacation and responding to a back-seat child's "Are we there yet?" question in a literal sense or assessing the state of race relations in America in a figurative one, the premise remains the same: we can only know how much further we have to travel if we take note of where we've been and all that's in our rear-view mirror.
Being honest about events in Ferguson and New York is part of our progress as well. Simply put, the police are our friends- and absent very, very few isolated instances, the only folks with a justifiable fear of encounters with the police are thugs and low-lifes that should be fearing them.
We must reject any inclination to excuse criminal behavior, and we must refuse to placate those who attempt to legitimize criminal acts of their own or others through smoke, mirrors and totally unfounded claims of police racism.
May God bless the Ferguson Police Department, New York Police Department, Apopka Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Seminole County Sheriff's Office here- as well as the rest of our nation's law enforcement personnel who protect us every day by running toward what others run from.
A Race Relations Revolution? Not quite necessary.
