Ever seen the movie a Time to Kill? It’s very good. The jury has their aha moment when they stop thinking about the little Black girl who was harmed, and changed it to being a little white girl. Suddenly, they are sickened in a different way. Suddenly, the perpetrator who did the attack cannot be ignored and deserves punishment.
You have to put yourself in the place of the minority.
A friend of mine posted this today, it is a real experience that happened to her, it is not one of those “posted by a friend” things being passed around. I edited out some things to shorten it:
A few years ago, Memphis commemorated MLK50 with a stirring series of events, services, and speakers. It felt like a time of hope, understanding, and honoring those who fought so hard for simple, basic equality.
The place where I worked commemorated as well. I felt honored to work in a place where it seemed that the idea that all men and women are equally worthy of respect and opportunity was core to its standards.
The day before the city’s commemoration of the I Am a Man march, about 50 of us were gathered for a meeting. As the meeting was about to start, we were discussing the march the next day and what streets it woud cover. We were invited to watch either outside the building or from one of our balconies as it passed by. The room buzzed a bit as colleagues compared notes on their attendance plans.
Then someone about four tables away decided to make a “joke” about sniper rifles on the balcony.
The entire room went silent.
I watched the friend next to me, my amazing, beautiful, always poised friend with skin the color of cappuccino tinged with caramel – one of only two people in our management team whose skin is brown – struggle to keep her composure, and then finally get up and leave.
I will never forget that not a single person followed to check on her.
I will never forget that the meeting started and went on as though nothing had happened.
I will never forget the face of my boss, whom, when I sought his advice, went stone-faced and told me to go to HR.
I will never forget that I was one of only two people who went to HR. Two people from a room of fifty.
I will never forget that when HR conducted their “investigation,” they could not find any other person in the room who heard what he said – even the people sitting at his table. I was told it was their word against ours since there was no one to corroborate our “story.”
HR had asked me what I thought should happen to him. I said I thought he needed to be spoken to about this in some way to ensure he understands the impact and wrongness of his words, and that I hoped he would not be fired.
You may wonder why people march and carry signs. You may wonder why people are angry.
I see the daily constant reminders of bias and unequal treatment large and small, the blatant examples of brutality and pure hatred inflicted with no provocation on people just trying to live their lives, and can only wonder why so few people march.
March, kneel, fill in the blank.
@Blackberry Yes, that’s his name, Tim Tebow. I wasn’t paying a much attention to it either. I wonder was it the religious right carrying on about it initially? Was there actually any sort of negativity about him praying?