This entry is starting in the middle. Then again, the world was already in motion when I arrived. . . .
Everything King said and did stemmed from the fact that he was black and wanted to improve the lives of blacks. At the same time, he was not anti-white. All of his philosophy and theology—yes, he held a PhD—dealt with race. At the same time, he was Christian. In fact, he always believed he was “first and foremost a preacher,” and that was how he served humanity.
King believed in non-violence as a way of life (not just a strategy to accomplish given goals as some in the civil rights movement did), which is why he did not abandon nonviolence as his popularity waned. King became more radical in thought as he aged. And he became more prophetic.
For a person to pluck from one of King’s speeches, a word such as “colorblind” and use it to claim King is the same logic people use when they proof-text the Bible and select verses to support a preconceived view, rather than approaching the Bible to learn God’s view.
King was prolific. He wrote books, sermons, speeches, and magazine articles. He left us a lot of material from which to draw and fortunately most of it has been preserved. Yet it is a perversion and a misunderstanding of this man to use his words to declare that we have arrived at the summit of his “dream.” If one wants to know if blacks have “equality,” which is what King was working toward, he/she might ask a cross section of black people. Racism in America stemmed from slavery* and has nothing to do with how people were treated in the former Soviet Union under communism, as one man suggested in a comment (on Bookworm Room).
This post began because Bookworm objected to black children saying people should vote for Obama because he’s black, saying “racism starts young.” Bookworm wants her children to learn critical thinking. I can see where she’s coming from. Obama is not my candidate of choice either but for a different reason. Yet race should not be a litmus test any more than abortion ought to be. There are other issues to be considered. Domestic and foreign policy and economics matter. How we treat the poor. Taxes.
But perhaps people are confusing “racism” with ignorance. What children say often reflects what their parents believe. Sometimes the children get it wrong. Sometimes they speak exactly what they have heard. Racism is alive and well in the US, but it is by no means the only kind of ignorance we have. Ignorance is simply a lack of knowing. I hope to add a clear voice to what King said and taught. Understanding King can be done only by reading primary sources in their entirety. Otherwise, we often get the speaker’s view with supporting quotes from King amid ignorant cries of “reverse racism” and other racist myths that are rearing their ugly heads under politically correct rhetoric and a sentiment that King’s prophecy had an expiration date instead of him being martyred.
I am posting each day this month various pieces of black history. Black history is American history from a black point of view. For purposes of education, I will be posting the primary sources (works by King) on my blog tomorrow. The King Project is busy locating, organizing, and categorizing King’s works into what will be a fourteen-volume set upon completion. King was a great man. Let us refrain from perverting his message of equality.
Parts of this entry will be cross-posted at Bookworm Room.
* Edit: As Eric pointed out (see comment) this should have read: Racism in this country began in slavery. Racism was the root cause of slavery not vice versa. My original statement is confusing about that fact.
13 comments
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February 7, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Eric-Odessit
Helen,
Racism in this country did not stem from slavery, but rather slavery stemmed from racism. There was a belief that black people were inferior, and thus had to be “taken care of” and used. Furthermore, I remember how I was shocked when a black tour guide in New Orleans told me that the black people in the South did not want to be liberated, precisely because they were taken care of.
Racism in this country does not have anything to do with the way people were treated in the former Soviet Union. I was merely explaining what real racism is. Just to expand on that, Jews were not the only ones who suffered from that. Many of the republics of the Soviet Union had, if you will, “affirmative action”, when the representative of the local population were given preference at the expense of the ethnic Russians and Ukrainians living there. In fact, it is ironic, but a Jew had a better chance getting into college somewhere in Tashkent than in my native Odessa. So, if I were to support this affirmative action, I should condone this anti-Russian discrimination in Tashkent because I was mistreated in Odessa. Don’t you see the absurdity of that?
As for pour people, I still contend that you have no idea what poverty is. Poverty is when you are given special coupons to buy 1kilo of meat per month (1981, the city of Velikie Luki). It is when your family is given coupons, or as they euphemistically called “invitations” to 1 kilo of sugar per month (1987, Odessa). Yes, I am talking about rationing, in peacetime. Have you heard of communal apartments? That is, when, let’s say, there is a 3-bedroom apartment that is shared between 3 families. Each includes 2 parents, kids, sometimes grandparents. You have 1 bathroom and 1 kitchen for them all. So, imagine 5 people living in a single bedroom, that also serves as a living room and family room. That’s poverty. As for government-provided health care, we had that in the Soviet Union, for everybody equally. We joked that the health care is free, and we all got what we paid. Of course, if you paid the orderly under the table, you could get a bedpan when needed.
So, I’ll say again: you don’t know what poverty or racism is. Not only because you’ve never experienced either, but also because you’ve never seen either: it doesn’t exist in this country, save for some crazies on the fringes. Racism is certainly not practiced by the government, as it was in the Soviet Union. In fact, your beloved affirmative action is the closest thing to racism because it prejudges people based on their ethnic or racial origin.
It is telling that people who come to this country from places like Soviet Union, Cuba or Vietnam tend to be so called conservatives, which really means classical liberals. In fact, I contend that I am a true liberal, in the original sense of the word, not you.
Black History Month? Why black? Why not English, Irish, German or Jewish? Why not Polish? Why just black? What would you say about White History Month?
Oh, well. I better stop. I had a few minutes to write this, but now I have to go t work. After all, that is how I get rich.
Eric.
February 7, 2008 at 2:27 pm
helenl
You are right, Eric, slavery stemmed from racism. What I should have said is that racism in this country began in slavery. You also know your own experience. I’m not about to tell you what happened to you in the Soviet Union or what you should think about it. It is irrelevant. “Your poverty is bigger than my poverty.” That’s like saying, “My Daddy can whup your Daddy.” See how silly it is.
And I am not wrong about what King said and believed and that racism is alive and well in the US. As to White History Month, whiteness is a given during the rest of the year. You still don’t seem to get it, which is why Black History Month is so important. Blacks have been the underclass since the times of slavery. If we ever fix that, then we’ll be ready to deal with other minorities (and yes, others exist).
Thank you for coming to my blog. Please feel free to visit any time and leave comments. Everyone is welcome here. You see, I’m a liberal.
February 7, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Eric-Odessit
Helen,
There are stories of Tuskegee Airmen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen,
Black Panthers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/761st_Tank_Battalion_%28United_States%29
and Red Ball Express
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ball_Express.
There were others as well. Are these stories limited to Black History? Because I view them as part of the overall history of World War 2. Why do these stories have to be separated? Those units were segregated back in World War 2. Why do you want to continue? Why not just say that those men faced idiotic racism and proved themselves, and then concentrate on their heroism, rather than their blackness?
You seem to want to try to end racism by directing racism in the other direction. But that does not work. The only way to end racism is just to end it. Just recognizing that prejudging people on the basis of their ethnicity is idiotic, to say the least, would go a long way.
By the way, thank you for visiting my blog and commenting on it. I hope you would read this: http://conservativlib.wordpress.com/why-conservative-liberal/
This explains why I think that I am a true liberal, while you are not.
Eric.
I will copy this also to your blog.
February 7, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Eric-Odessit
Helen,
One more thing. My poverty is not bigger than your poverty. Because families with their own apartments, cars, TVs and other stuff are not pour, even if they are less well off than some other people.
Eric.
February 7, 2008 at 5:16 pm
helenl
Hi Eric,
The stories you mention are not limited to Black History Month. Black History is American History. History from a black point of view counts. Everyone and everyone’s story matters. Some blacks hate the idea of Black History Month for this very reason. But until we integrate their stories into the mainstream, the people, stories, and events need to be showcased. They are not yet mainstream and when taught someone screams, “What about White History Month?” That is why I choose to celebrate Black History Month.
Just as each person’s story matters, each person’s race matters, too. Race is a real part of who we are. Race and the country in which our ancestors lived. And what happened to those ancestors. There are heroes among us all. I am not black nor do I wish I were. If I were black, I wouldn’t be the person I am (and the one I’m becoming). Frankly, I like myself. I’m comfortable being me. I’m not perfect, but I work to be better – to be kinder to everyone and more informed about life.
I don’t believe that people of any race or ethnicity are better than those of others. But I do believe that to establish “equality,” we must know our history. And for all Americans that includes Black History. You say, “You seem to want to try to end racism by directing racism in the other direction. But that does not work. The only way to end racism is just to end it.” Would that that were so. I’d just end it now. But no, some slave would have ended it years ago. And we’d be talking about something else.
Black History Month is about keeping the story alive until we need it no more. It’s the same reason Jews remind us of the Holocaust: Never again. No, never again.
Please be aware that WordPress caught your comment as spam due to the number of URLs. I approved it and will again, but if one doesn’t appear and I’m off line, you may have to wait.
The poverty thing was sarcasm, Eric. I guess it flopped. Both you and I probably have more than we need.
I’ll check out your “true liberal” link and comment on it later.
All the best, Helen
February 7, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Jana Allard
Helen, out of curiosity, how would you have replied to the elementary student saying, “Vote for Obama because he is black.” I probably would have responded similar to the person on the other thread and told my child no one should be judged according to skin color. Maybe you can give a better response that a child would understand.
February 7, 2008 at 6:10 pm
helenl
Jana, I’m presuming the child who said this is black (but maybe not). I would say, “I know black people have worked and struggled for many years in this country. But isn’t it wonderful that this year both a black man and a woman are running for president. Our country has come a long way from those sad days when we had separate bathrooms and wouldn’t let black people eat at public lunch counters. Now we can vote for a black man, if that’s what we choose to do.”
February 7, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Skittles, The Huntress
I find it amazing that not only are a black man and a white woman running for president, but also a minister and a medical doctor and a soldier who survived years of torture.
How unfortunate that the media and others wish to put a negative spin on this. I believe we should be proud that our elections are wide open to all….we are very forward thinking and leaders in the race to eliminate discrimination. Yes, discrimination still exists, yet we are way ahead of other countries.
I shall look forward to your black history month posts.
Luv,
Skittles, The Huntress and her pet human
February 8, 2008 at 12:10 am
helenl
Hi Skittles and WW, Glad you dropped by. Black history is so full of the richness of life. We need to stop and think about how much of a debt we owe to our fellow Americans. Racism is still existent, but we have a chance to be a part of the solution. I’m trying to find a variety of things to post about, which is harder than it sounds. Sweet Rosie O’Kitten sends her love.
February 8, 2008 at 1:41 am
Jana Allard
Thank you, Helen, for your response. Well said.
February 8, 2008 at 11:06 am
helenl
Thanks, Jana.
February 9, 2008 at 4:18 am
Eric-Odessit
Skittles, you described the Republicans by what they do and their life experience. You described the Democrats by their racial and gender identities. Why? Who cares about Obama’s race and Hillary’s gender and race? How do their identities impact their ability to the President? Their race and gender are absolutely irrelevant to the job they might have to do (although I hope they won’t get to do that). I will not vote for either of them, but I absolutely don’t care about Obama’s blackness or Hillary’s femininity. I simply disagree with their ideas. I don’t think that anything approaching Socialism is a good idea to implement. I should know: I grew up with that. But their identities have nothing to do with that, although their party affiliation does.
The rest of my comment is here:
http://conservativlib.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/feel-good-racism/
Eric.
February 9, 2008 at 10:40 am
helenl
Eric, I must explain. Skittles is WWs cat. Sweet Rosie O’Kitten is mine. Skittles has her own bog and is running for office, trying to get cats to vote for her. See http://kaboodlecats.blogspot.com/ Everything on Skittles’ blog is written from a cat’s point of view. Now cats come in different breeds, but breed has never come up as an issue in Skittles campaign. It’s mostly cats trying to figure out their (sorta dumb) pet humans.
It’s for fun and is a light-hearted way of discussing various aspects of life.
As far a who cares about Obama’s race (ethnicity): I’d say quite a few people do.
As to what I said about Hillary, I spoke about health care and bringing soldiers home. Those are issues, but evidently not one’s that matter to you. I will look at the rest of your comment on your site.