Race and the question of character
Imagine you are back in 1962. You are driving on a desolate road in rural Mississippi at night — and you are black.
Suddenly, from out of darkness, bright flashing lights appear. It’s a police car right behind you. You are being pulled over. You were doing the speed limit and, as far as you know, your vehicle is in perfect working order. The door of the patrol car opens and a large, burly white cop emerges and begins to walk toward your car. He does not look happy. Your palms sweat. Your heart races. Now what?
Unfortunately, the above scenario was experienced by many African-Americans in America over the years. The fear they felt was well-founded; overt and systematic racism was, in many parts of our country, part of daily life.
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But only the heavily indoctrinated would say that things have not changed.
Does racism still exist in America? Of course, it does. It also exists in Europe, Asia, Central America — and Africa.
Racism is a problem of the heart, and the heart cannot be legislated.
Yes, laws are very effective in combating racial discrimination in employment and housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the most groundbreaking pieces of legislation in the history of our country.
Yet there are those, many well-intentioned, who want to bring the issue of race front and center again. But this time, it is different.
The civil rights movement of the 1960s sought to diminish the importance of a person’s color. Back then, the perception of color was everything. The assumptions that many white people made when they saw a black person were based on rank stereotypes. Conversely, many people of color assumed that every white person was intent on denying them their rights — or worse.
Perhaps one of the most profound statements in human history was made by Martin Luther King Jr. . He stated that people should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by “the content of their character.”
However, over the last few years, there has been a shift in the thinking of civil rights advocates, that being: “You must see my color!”
The thinking here is that to understand past and present racism and oppression, one must “see” a person’s color; you must identify with their suffering and alienation and, if you are white, ask for forgiveness — or even objectify the entire white race as being inherently racist.
In essence, if we follow this prescription, would we not be moving back in time?
This would completely erase MLK’s statement, to say nothing of what it would do, and has done, to race relations.
Character, especially good character, is something that melts away barriers between people. It connects us to what makes us human and certainly instills good will.
No, good character will not erase racism, but it may change the hearts of some for the good.
Looking at it another way, injecting race into every conversation does not close social gaps, but rather, enlarges the ones we are trying to close.
For the most part, in today’s America, people get along.
Americans are cordial to their Uber driver, the clerk at Walmart, and their doctors. If we continue to listen to present-day trends, we will soon be looking with a cocked eye at everyone who does not look like us.
And that would be a great crime.
America is still the freest country on the face of the earth. If we trace out America’s development from its founding until now, we can easily point out the great sins along the way. Chattel slavery and racism were indeed profound sins.
The difference with America, however, is that much of this has been erased by national repentance, fairer laws — and good character.
Indeed, character still matters — and on most issues, not only race, character must be the judge.
Joseph M Bianchi is an independent journalist and author based in Greenville, SC.
