Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a long way from Brunswick, Georgia and Louisville, Kentucky. Yet the three areas are now inextricably linked by the recent tragedies that befell African-American citizens – murdered in those locations by citizen vigilantes or police officers. Each illuminates a teachable moment that we would do well to learn from, and demonstrates that even during a historic pandemic, when we are all supposedly “in this together,” that we still have a long way to go as a society before we truly reach “togetherness.”
These tragedies shout out a familiar refrain to African-Americans everywhere, who continue to live in fear of predators on all sides. Whether vigilantes, criminals, or law enforcement personnel, these predators are seen as a potential threat to every person of African descent, irrespective of position or social status. It very much seems that it’s just not safe to be Black in America.
However, I remain hopeful that this situation can be rectified in time. I believe that education can be the key to understanding one another and moving forward toward a truly just society. Being a university leader demands that I attend to that reality, even as I plan for our next semester here at CSUDH under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reliving a Racist Past
The senseless and unexplained assaults on the lives and humanities of Black people should be relegated to our nation’s past, but trying to escape a history of racism and White supremacy is not an easy task. From slavery to the Watts Rebellion, that legacy is permanently cemented in our history books.
Markers like electing America’s first African-American president or increased numbers of Black and minority college graduates point to progress in this arena. But a more intentional and deliberate look at our nation’s deep structure reveals that such signposts of social change may be more counterfeit than people imagine – our progress more of a mirage than legitimate improvement.
It is undeniable that some progress has been made; my own career is proof of that. Yet too many in this nation, particularly African Americans, continue to be denied an authentic slice of the American dream, as their lives are terrorized by what can only be described as an American nightmare.
