"I love America more than any country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."
-J.B. (The Native Son)
I often wonder, why is understanding the black experience in America so difficult for non-black people and why is it such a fight? We have gone from blatant racism addressed during the 60s Civil Rights Movement to thinking that racism does not in fact exist and that
we make everything a race thing. Our brothers and sisters take space in important positions, we have had our black president, and pop culture is dominated by black people so what really is the issue here? Such conversations make me want to yell ARE YOU BLIND?!
As Glenn E. Martin stated in Ava Duvernay's documentary 13th, “When I think of systems of oppression historically and in this country, they’re durable. They tend to reinvent themselves, and they do it right under your nose.” Racism no longer looks like how it looked pre civil rights. It no longer is recognized by the characteristics you were taught in school of how it presented itself. We no longer have segregation, but we have new and improved methods of keeping black communities in a cycle of oppression. It is learning to see it in it's new disguise that presents a new challenge. We must approach articulating it as you have during the first movement.
"The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated."
America has never had a better well spoken individual with a real grasp of current situations and reality in the context of nationality, ethnicity and what it means to be black in America. Although you never meant to be a quote unquote leader you were unafraid of holding such conversations publicly and in turn did in fact give such unarguable statements to the inequality happening. Watching you speak was enamoring. You sat so poised, ready for any question, any opposition and just waiting to teach whomever you were speaking to a real lesson. You hold such a gift for words, metaphors and creating vivid experiences for others to step into. At such ease, you are able to put into words our pains and fears.
"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."
That responsibility ultimately does not rest on us, we are being dealt a problem that is not caused by us. We are the outlet that allows a collective to gain a common point, a place of bonding. In other words, we are the punching bag of America, and why would anyone want for their punching bag to be taken away. It is a place you can go to release pent up anger and self-loathing. Your writing helped us to see what we are fighting and why. Realizing and understanding brings a sense of knowing what you must do. You helped us to see that we are not as this nation names us. When we know that we are not in fact inferior, we do not succumb ourselves to such discouragement. We are brilliant individuals with a right to equality in this nation. Like you often argued, we must read and educate ourselves, "-to examine the society in which he is being educated. ”
Sincerely,
Kayla Mary Jane