I love Virginia Woolf. I've spent a lot of time with her: I've read almost everything she's written, and she was the topic of my master's thesis. I admire her style, her honesty, her rejection of tradition--both in writing and her personal life.
But should she be held up as the epitome of feminism? Of feminist authors? The Huffington Post's Maddie Crum recently wrote an article titled Why Virginia Woolf Should Be Your Feminist Role Model", giving several reasons why Woolf should hold that title. And while I do agree with a lot of what she says (although mentioning fluid gender roles without mentioning Orlando seems rather short-sighted), I also have some serious reservations.
For all of her wonderful, progressive points, Woolf was very much a product of her time. As adamant as she was that women needed space and money to pursue their creative lives, she really was only speaking of a certain economic class of women. White women. And Christian. Woolf, unfortunately, expressed very classist, racist, and anti-Semitic views while also advocating for women's autonomy and creative freedom.
These are difficult contradictions to reconcile, especially when women of color and women in lower economic situations have felt ostracized by mainstream feminism. It hasn't always been inclusive; it isn't always inclusive today. If we truly believe that feminism is equality, it has to mean equality in all realms. It has to also include income equality, education, reproductive justice, racial and LGBTQ rights. Feminism can, and should, be something everyone is proud of and works toward, not something that continues to make certain segments of society feel ostracized.
If we just look at Virginia Woolf as an advocate for advancing women's positions in life and giving them opportunities to express themselves creatively, then I think, yes, she is a good role model. Alice Walker (who is one of my favorite authors) references Woolf in her essay, In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens. In that essay, Walker mentions that for far too long women, especially women of color, had to find subversive ways to express themselves--in quilts, flower gardens and the walls of their homes. They were as anonymous as Woolf's Shakespearean sister, doomed to a life of obscurity because of their gender and race. It is our duty to resurrect those lives as best we can, as Woolf did for the fictional sister of Shakespeare and Walker did for Zora Neale Hurston, to more fully embrace our heritage.
Perhaps we don't have to expect everything from our role models. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes, try to learn from them, and move on. Roxane Gay would call that being a "bad feminist." No one is a perfect feminist--most days we can't even completely agree on what that means. We attempt to live our lives as best we can, but we're going to fail. Because at the end of the day, we're all human.
I'd like to think that if Woolf lived today, she would be more open to helping her sisters of all stripes. Even so, for all of her faults, she does have important words for us all as we strive toward a more equal world for all women.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Rabbit Hole #7: New Harper Lee novel and Whistling Vivaldi
Um, biggest news right now in the book world? Harper Lee has a new book coming out. Not only that, but the much-loved, seldom-seen writer's second novel is a sequel of sorts to To Kill a Mockingbird. When this news was announced on Tuesday, my Twitter feed pretty much looked like this:
It's not every day a reclusive writer comes out with a new work, and even rarer that it's a sequel to one of the most beloved books of all time. (To be fair, she did write this work before Mockingbird, but it's still a sequel!)
This news isn't without controversy, however. There are people who are genuinely worried that Lee was tricked into publishing this book, given her declining health. There are others who are worried it won't live up to Mockingbird. As far as the first concern goes, I, for one, desperately hope the reports that Lee is happy about publishing Go, Set a Watchman are true. The thought that someone would exploit her for financial gain makes my stomach churn. The second concern also has merits: rarely to do sequels live up to the original work.
Hopefully, we'll have some clearer answers on the first concern soon. We'll have to wait until summer to answer that second question: Go, Set a Watchman comes out July 14.
In other news, I just finished Claude M. Steele's Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do. I don't normally read sociology books, unless they deal with women's issues, but this particular book was fascinating. Steele's claim is that stereotypes can affect us, even if we are not consciously aware of being stereotyped. Because our culture labels and groups everyone, we all have contingencies that are in the back of our minds and acting on our lives every day. Women are not smart at math and science, blacks aren't as intelligent as whites, whites aren't as athletic, men aren't sensitive--all of these contingencies can not only affect the interactions we have with each other, but our own performance in areas as well.
Whistling Vivaldi did bog down for me when Steele was describing the scientific methods he and his team used, but the examples/experiments he discusses as well as the implications for our society were intriguing. And as a teacher, trying minimizing the stereotype threats in my classroom as much as possible to help my students achieve is definitely something I will be focusing on. Well worth the read!
gif courtesy of mashable.com
It's not every day a reclusive writer comes out with a new work, and even rarer that it's a sequel to one of the most beloved books of all time. (To be fair, she did write this work before Mockingbird, but it's still a sequel!)
This news isn't without controversy, however. There are people who are genuinely worried that Lee was tricked into publishing this book, given her declining health. There are others who are worried it won't live up to Mockingbird. As far as the first concern goes, I, for one, desperately hope the reports that Lee is happy about publishing Go, Set a Watchman are true. The thought that someone would exploit her for financial gain makes my stomach churn. The second concern also has merits: rarely to do sequels live up to the original work.
Hopefully, we'll have some clearer answers on the first concern soon. We'll have to wait until summer to answer that second question: Go, Set a Watchman comes out July 14.
In other news, I just finished Claude M. Steele's Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do. I don't normally read sociology books, unless they deal with women's issues, but this particular book was fascinating. Steele's claim is that stereotypes can affect us, even if we are not consciously aware of being stereotyped. Because our culture labels and groups everyone, we all have contingencies that are in the back of our minds and acting on our lives every day. Women are not smart at math and science, blacks aren't as intelligent as whites, whites aren't as athletic, men aren't sensitive--all of these contingencies can not only affect the interactions we have with each other, but our own performance in areas as well.
Whistling Vivaldi did bog down for me when Steele was describing the scientific methods he and his team used, but the examples/experiments he discusses as well as the implications for our society were intriguing. And as a teacher, trying minimizing the stereotype threats in my classroom as much as possible to help my students achieve is definitely something I will be focusing on. Well worth the read!
Monday, February 2, 2015
Rabbit Hole #6: The Bone People by Keri Hulme
I just finished Keri Hulme's The Bone People last night, and all I can say is, wow. It was so amazingly complex, with tragic characters, magical realism, Maori legends, and a decidedly modernist feel to it.
The Bone People is the story of three individuals set on the South Island beaches of New Zealand. Each of these people is damaged by their pasts: Kerewin is a painter and loner who has built the Tower for herself to live in; Simon is an orphan who was found washed up on the beach and has no verbal skills, although he can read and write better than many older children; Joe Gillayley is a laborer who has brought Simon in, but is as destructive to the boy as he is loving. These three find each other when Simon breaks into the Tower, only to be discovered by Kerewin. It's not your typical man meets woman--they fall in love--happily ever after story, though. These three become even more bruised and battered throughout the novel than they were to begin with, and even the connections between them can't undo that.
The style is a throw-back to the great modernists of the early twentieth-century. It's not always easy to tell who is speaking or thinking. Hulme uses the space of the page to dictate those changes, rather than punctuation. (Hulme even has a note at the beginning thanking her editor for trusting her and allowing her to tell the story the way she wanted.) Even though the style may take some getting used to, once you do, it's easy to see why she created the text in this way.
This 1985 Booker Prize winner (and first novel) absolutely wrecked me. To be honest, I really didn't like any of the characters; even the young Simon tries his best to hurt others and make it difficult for the reader to connect with him. But even though I didn't particularly like anyone, I still found myself rooting for them. And THAT is the sign of a good writer: making you care about characters that don't deserve it. I'm definitely going to be checking out more of her work.
The Bone People is the story of three individuals set on the South Island beaches of New Zealand. Each of these people is damaged by their pasts: Kerewin is a painter and loner who has built the Tower for herself to live in; Simon is an orphan who was found washed up on the beach and has no verbal skills, although he can read and write better than many older children; Joe Gillayley is a laborer who has brought Simon in, but is as destructive to the boy as he is loving. These three find each other when Simon breaks into the Tower, only to be discovered by Kerewin. It's not your typical man meets woman--they fall in love--happily ever after story, though. These three become even more bruised and battered throughout the novel than they were to begin with, and even the connections between them can't undo that.
The style is a throw-back to the great modernists of the early twentieth-century. It's not always easy to tell who is speaking or thinking. Hulme uses the space of the page to dictate those changes, rather than punctuation. (Hulme even has a note at the beginning thanking her editor for trusting her and allowing her to tell the story the way she wanted.) Even though the style may take some getting used to, once you do, it's easy to see why she created the text in this way.
This 1985 Booker Prize winner (and first novel) absolutely wrecked me. To be honest, I really didn't like any of the characters; even the young Simon tries his best to hurt others and make it difficult for the reader to connect with him. But even though I didn't particularly like anyone, I still found myself rooting for them. And THAT is the sign of a good writer: making you care about characters that don't deserve it. I'm definitely going to be checking out more of her work.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Why I Won't Be Seeing American Sniper
Our local movie theater has once again let me down. They've chosen, for whatever reason, not to show what is arguably the most important movie of the year: Selma. With racial issues at the forefront of our national conversation right now, this should be a picture everyone sees. I wasn't completely surprised by our theater's decision: they did this a few years ago when Lincoln came out. It took them more than three months before they decided to show it, and only after it had won the Oscar and people complained. I'm not nearly as optimistic that they will ever get around to showing Selma.
We do, however, have American Sniper, a movie that I won't be going to see.
Before you break out the pitchforks, let me make one thing clear. I have nothing against those people who dedicate their lives to the military. I was a military brat; my father served in the military, as have several other family members, friends, and students. I've seen the sacrifices that they have made, the trauma they have gone through, the accomplishments they've had, the silence they keep.
However, none of that will make me go see American Sniper. From everything I've heard, Bradley Cooper gives an amazing performance as Chris Kyle, the Texas sniper who served four tours in Iraq. However, it's the things that Clint Eastwood deliberately left out of the movie, things that Kyle bragged about in his autobiography, that convinced me to not see this picture. If we want to tell the true story of our soldiers, we need to be completely honest--about everything.
Kyle lied in his autobiography. He said he was stationed on top of the Superdome after Katrina and picked off 30 looters. A lie. He said he killed a pair of car hijackers in Texas. Another lie. He was also sued by Jesse Ventura after he claimed to have punched out the former Minnesota governor in a bar. Yet another lie. Ventura won the lawsuit. (Jarvis DeBerry goes into more detail on these lies in his article here.)
Kyle also bragged about the kills he made during his tours in Iraq. He enjoyed killing people. I'm not discounting the work he did: a sniper's work is to make things safer for other soldiers. I do have an issue with someone who loves killing other human beings.
It's obvious that Kyle had serious PTSD issues. I have no doubt that the lies he told come from a desire to remain a "hero" once he was back on American soil, but that doesn't excuse the lies, nor the omission of this part of Kyle's story in the movie. Manipulating a story that much gives people a false impression of what Kyle did and how he lived his life (or what he said about his life), especially when many people take these stories as "absolute truth" rather than a fictionalized account of what happened.*
I'm sure American Sniper will win Best Picture. It should be Selma.
*I know Selma has been accused of historical inaccuracies as well. However, there's a difference between showing LBJ as reluctant on civil rights, and ignoring major lies in an individual's autobiography.
We do, however, have American Sniper, a movie that I won't be going to see.
Before you break out the pitchforks, let me make one thing clear. I have nothing against those people who dedicate their lives to the military. I was a military brat; my father served in the military, as have several other family members, friends, and students. I've seen the sacrifices that they have made, the trauma they have gone through, the accomplishments they've had, the silence they keep.
However, none of that will make me go see American Sniper. From everything I've heard, Bradley Cooper gives an amazing performance as Chris Kyle, the Texas sniper who served four tours in Iraq. However, it's the things that Clint Eastwood deliberately left out of the movie, things that Kyle bragged about in his autobiography, that convinced me to not see this picture. If we want to tell the true story of our soldiers, we need to be completely honest--about everything.
Kyle lied in his autobiography. He said he was stationed on top of the Superdome after Katrina and picked off 30 looters. A lie. He said he killed a pair of car hijackers in Texas. Another lie. He was also sued by Jesse Ventura after he claimed to have punched out the former Minnesota governor in a bar. Yet another lie. Ventura won the lawsuit. (Jarvis DeBerry goes into more detail on these lies in his article here.)
Kyle also bragged about the kills he made during his tours in Iraq. He enjoyed killing people. I'm not discounting the work he did: a sniper's work is to make things safer for other soldiers. I do have an issue with someone who loves killing other human beings.
It's obvious that Kyle had serious PTSD issues. I have no doubt that the lies he told come from a desire to remain a "hero" once he was back on American soil, but that doesn't excuse the lies, nor the omission of this part of Kyle's story in the movie. Manipulating a story that much gives people a false impression of what Kyle did and how he lived his life (or what he said about his life), especially when many people take these stories as "absolute truth" rather than a fictionalized account of what happened.*
I'm sure American Sniper will win Best Picture. It should be Selma.
*I know Selma has been accused of historical inaccuracies as well. However, there's a difference between showing LBJ as reluctant on civil rights, and ignoring major lies in an individual's autobiography.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Rabbit Hole #5: My top five reads of 2014
I read a lot of great books last year, including a lot of nonfiction, which is new for me. But out of all of them, these are the five that have stayed with me the most. (Some of these I've written about before, but they definitely deserve another mention.)
Because all of these are so different, I didn't rank them. So, in no particular order, the best books I read last year are:
Americanah by Chiamanda Ngozi Adiche: I can't say enough good things about this book. Ifemelu and Obinze are young Nigerian sweethearts who dream of going to the United States for college. Ifemelu experiences America and comes to terms for the first time with what it means to be black. She also notices distinct differences between African-Americans and the African immigrants around her. Obinze ends up living on the fringes, undocumented, in London after post-9/11 America shuts its doors to him. The struggles both of these young people go through, including love, tragedy, racism, and class, eventually bring both of them back to Nigeria, where life is both the same, yet very different, from the country they left.
This description doesn't even come close to describing Adiche's lyrical prose and character development. I've read most of her work (Purple Hibiscus is on my list for this year), and she is just getting better and better as a writer. Definitely check her work out!!
The Ocean at the End of the Land by Neil Gaiman: This was my first Gaiman read, but it's not going to be my last. I have The Graveyard Book on my nightstand, and the rest of his work is on my to-be-read list.
The narrator returns to his home in Sussex to attend a funeral. Although his childhood home no longer stands, the Hempstock Farm at the end of the lane does. Inexplicably drawn to the Farm, the narrator finds himself reliving long forgotten memories from his childhood. When he is seven, a visiting South African opal miner commits suicide on the Hempstock Farm. An ancient entity hears his dying sounds and comes to investigate. People begin to act strangely, and the narrator crosses to the Farm to discover the cause. There he encounters eleven year old Lettie, her mother, and grandmother. The women talk of other worlds, times beyond, and the Big Bang. Lettie sets out to banish the ancient force, taking the narrator with her. Unfortunately, he makes a mistake, unleashing the force out of the Farm and into his world. She takes the form of Ursula, who manipulates his parents and sister, drawing out everyone's darkest desires. In order to save him, the women must call upon ancient female wisdom, and risk everything in the process.
Gaiman is a master storyteller. This work is dark, creepy, magical, and soul-wrenching, everything a good fantasy novel should be.
A Reason for Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall: Forget Woman Crush Wednesday, Dr. Goodall is one of my idols. I am so, so grateful I was able to hear her speak in person this year. This work came at just the right time, as I was starting to be pulled down into the darkness of the world between the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Ferguson, Gamergate, gun violence--you name it, it was dragging my soul down this summer. In addition to detailing her early work with the chimpanzees of Gombe and her creation of Roots and Shoots, and children's environmental program, Goodall discusses her spirituality, and how her belief in a higher power has helped her through the most difficult times in her career.
Some may find her beliefs incompatible with a scientific background (she has no problems reconciling them with evolution and even reincarnation), but for many who read this, it will prove reassuring. In fact, I have a feeling this is one that I will be coming back to.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: If you haven't read this, stop what you are doing and find a copy. Now. I'll wait. I don't care if you're male, female, black, white, gay, straight, Christian or Muslim. This is a must-read collection of essays on feminism, rape culture, music, pop culture, gender, and even football and Scrabble. (Gay even spent several years of her life in my home state of Nebraska.) She addresses the complexities of our society, trying to navigate modern life while trying to be a feminist (There IS no right way to be a feminist, by the way. Just a desire to see true equality and justice for everyone, men and women.)
This was one of the last books I read last year, and it's probably going to be a reread this year. It's that good and thought-provoking.
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud: I first read Claire Messud's The Emperor's Children in 2008. I was blown away. It remains one of my favorite books, but this one may have overtaken it. The story is narrated by 37 year old elementary art teacher, Nora Elridge. Nora has all but given up on her dream of becoming a professional artist, until she meets the family of a new student in her class, Reza Shahid. She falls in love with the entire family, including Reza's mother, Sirena, who is a talented installation artist. Sirena is everything Nora has longed to be: charismatic, beautiful, and talented. Nora and Sirena rent a studio together, where Nora begins to return to her own work. But, as in any fairytale existence, things are not always what they seem. Betrayal, deception, and lies soon take over this perfect union.
This is a powerful novel, and although Nora may not be a completely reliable narrator, her voice is utterly compelling, showing the plight of many women who have given up their dreams to live the dreams expected of them.
Five books. Five amazing stories. I'm looking forward to what this year's reading brings; it's already looking good. Check out Emily St. John Mandel's terrific dystopian novel, Station Eleven!
Because all of these are so different, I didn't rank them. So, in no particular order, the best books I read last year are:
Americanah by Chiamanda Ngozi Adiche: I can't say enough good things about this book. Ifemelu and Obinze are young Nigerian sweethearts who dream of going to the United States for college. Ifemelu experiences America and comes to terms for the first time with what it means to be black. She also notices distinct differences between African-Americans and the African immigrants around her. Obinze ends up living on the fringes, undocumented, in London after post-9/11 America shuts its doors to him. The struggles both of these young people go through, including love, tragedy, racism, and class, eventually bring both of them back to Nigeria, where life is both the same, yet very different, from the country they left.
This description doesn't even come close to describing Adiche's lyrical prose and character development. I've read most of her work (Purple Hibiscus is on my list for this year), and she is just getting better and better as a writer. Definitely check her work out!!
The Ocean at the End of the Land by Neil Gaiman: This was my first Gaiman read, but it's not going to be my last. I have The Graveyard Book on my nightstand, and the rest of his work is on my to-be-read list.
The narrator returns to his home in Sussex to attend a funeral. Although his childhood home no longer stands, the Hempstock Farm at the end of the lane does. Inexplicably drawn to the Farm, the narrator finds himself reliving long forgotten memories from his childhood. When he is seven, a visiting South African opal miner commits suicide on the Hempstock Farm. An ancient entity hears his dying sounds and comes to investigate. People begin to act strangely, and the narrator crosses to the Farm to discover the cause. There he encounters eleven year old Lettie, her mother, and grandmother. The women talk of other worlds, times beyond, and the Big Bang. Lettie sets out to banish the ancient force, taking the narrator with her. Unfortunately, he makes a mistake, unleashing the force out of the Farm and into his world. She takes the form of Ursula, who manipulates his parents and sister, drawing out everyone's darkest desires. In order to save him, the women must call upon ancient female wisdom, and risk everything in the process.
Gaiman is a master storyteller. This work is dark, creepy, magical, and soul-wrenching, everything a good fantasy novel should be.
A Reason for Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall: Forget Woman Crush Wednesday, Dr. Goodall is one of my idols. I am so, so grateful I was able to hear her speak in person this year. This work came at just the right time, as I was starting to be pulled down into the darkness of the world between the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Ferguson, Gamergate, gun violence--you name it, it was dragging my soul down this summer. In addition to detailing her early work with the chimpanzees of Gombe and her creation of Roots and Shoots, and children's environmental program, Goodall discusses her spirituality, and how her belief in a higher power has helped her through the most difficult times in her career.
Some may find her beliefs incompatible with a scientific background (she has no problems reconciling them with evolution and even reincarnation), but for many who read this, it will prove reassuring. In fact, I have a feeling this is one that I will be coming back to.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: If you haven't read this, stop what you are doing and find a copy. Now. I'll wait. I don't care if you're male, female, black, white, gay, straight, Christian or Muslim. This is a must-read collection of essays on feminism, rape culture, music, pop culture, gender, and even football and Scrabble. (Gay even spent several years of her life in my home state of Nebraska.) She addresses the complexities of our society, trying to navigate modern life while trying to be a feminist (There IS no right way to be a feminist, by the way. Just a desire to see true equality and justice for everyone, men and women.)
This was one of the last books I read last year, and it's probably going to be a reread this year. It's that good and thought-provoking.
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud: I first read Claire Messud's The Emperor's Children in 2008. I was blown away. It remains one of my favorite books, but this one may have overtaken it. The story is narrated by 37 year old elementary art teacher, Nora Elridge. Nora has all but given up on her dream of becoming a professional artist, until she meets the family of a new student in her class, Reza Shahid. She falls in love with the entire family, including Reza's mother, Sirena, who is a talented installation artist. Sirena is everything Nora has longed to be: charismatic, beautiful, and talented. Nora and Sirena rent a studio together, where Nora begins to return to her own work. But, as in any fairytale existence, things are not always what they seem. Betrayal, deception, and lies soon take over this perfect union.
This is a powerful novel, and although Nora may not be a completely reliable narrator, her voice is utterly compelling, showing the plight of many women who have given up their dreams to live the dreams expected of them.
Five books. Five amazing stories. I'm looking forward to what this year's reading brings; it's already looking good. Check out Emily St. John Mandel's terrific dystopian novel, Station Eleven!
Friday, January 23, 2015
Rabbit Hole #4: 2015 Read Harder Challenge--January
I've never been one to post reading goals. I tend to read about 50 books a year, which, given I'm teaching English full-time and grading papers, is not too bad; although, I wish I could read more. But this year, one of my favorite bookish sites, BookRiot, posted a reading challenge for 2015. It's not about reading MORE books, but varying the types of books you read. Happily, I have books currently that fit some of the categories, and I have more on my to-be-read (TBR) list that also fit the criteria. I'm excited to do this, not because I don't already read a wide variety of genres, but it forces you to stretch a bit (not sure about the romance and audiobook ones, though). So here's my list, and I'll be updating it throughout the year. I've also posted the link to BookRiot below. They have some great lists of titles if you decide you also want to participate. If you are a reader, definitely check them out!
Read Harder 2015 Challenge To Date: (ones finished in blue)
A book written by someone when they were under 25:
A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65:
A collection of short stories:
A book published by an indie press:
A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ:
A book by someone of a different gender than you: Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy by Paul Thomas Murphy
A book that takes place in Asia:
A book by an author from Africa:
A book by or about someone from an indigenous culture:
A microhistory:
A YA novel:
A sci-fi novel:
A romance novel:
A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer from last decade:
A book that is a retelling of a classic story:
An audiobook:
A collection of poetry: Once by Alice Walker
A book that someone else recommended to you:
A book originally published in another language:
A graphic novel, memoir or collection of comics:
A guilty pleasure:
A book published before 1850:
A book published this year:
A self-improvement book:
Here's the link: BookRiot.com
Check out BookRiot's podcasts and YouTube channel as well!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
On Ferguson and White Privilege
"Imagine all the people...living life in peace...you may say I'm a dreamer...but I'm not the only one..."
John Lennon's words have been going through my head a lot since last night's disappointing, but not unexpected, announcement in the Michael Brown grand jury case. Six hours after the jury had announced that it had a decision, the prosecutor finally read the decision we all, really, knew was coming--Darren Wilson was not to be indicted for the murder of Michael Brown.
Not surprisingly, the emotions flared. And rightfully so. There are so many injustices still perpetrated on people of color in this country, and so many white people who refuse to see it.
"Racism is over!" they shout, as the Missouri KKK announces one of its largest increases in membership since President Obama's election, and promises to "take care of the terrorists" in Ferguson.
"I don't see color; I only see people!" they insist, as they use phrases like "thugs" and "terrorists" and "those people" to describe the protestors.
Langston Hughes once asked:
John Lennon's words have been going through my head a lot since last night's disappointing, but not unexpected, announcement in the Michael Brown grand jury case. Six hours after the jury had announced that it had a decision, the prosecutor finally read the decision we all, really, knew was coming--Darren Wilson was not to be indicted for the murder of Michael Brown.
Not surprisingly, the emotions flared. And rightfully so. There are so many injustices still perpetrated on people of color in this country, and so many white people who refuse to see it.
"Racism is over!" they shout, as the Missouri KKK announces one of its largest increases in membership since President Obama's election, and promises to "take care of the terrorists" in Ferguson.
"I don't see color; I only see people!" they insist, as they use phrases like "thugs" and "terrorists" and "those people" to describe the protestors.
Langston Hughes once asked:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Does it fester like a sore, and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or does it crust and sugar over, like a syrupy sweet?
Does it sag, like a heavy load?
Or does it explode?
For too long, we've been telling the minority communities in this country that every thing is equal now, as they watch median incomes plummet, schools in their neighborhoods close, their young men and boys disproportionately sent to prison for crimes that whites are given probation for. Their dreams, promised to them by this country, have been deferred for too long. What we are seeing right now is the explosion. As I type this, there are protests in 37 states, as well as one at the U. S. embassy in London. People from all walks of life, all skin colors, are joining together to say
ENOUGH.
We're seeing a change coming. It won't happen over night, but change never does. But hopefully, this will be the start of something substantial.
But.
But.
Those same white people I mentioned above? They're also saying, "stop protesting." "Justice has been done, what more do you want?" "The law was followed, there's nothing more to do." "What do these people want, more handouts?"
And on, and on, and on.
They refuse to see that they live a different life than the people directly affected by situations like Mike Brown or Trayvon Martin. Their white children will never have to worry about being stalked by police officers as they play basketball in the park, or drive around in their cars. They don't have to teach their sons to move slowly when they are around officers, to not make any sudden moves, so as not to appear threatening. Their white children can be pulled over by police officers and not have guns drawn immediately. People don't cross the street when they see a group of white boys walking down the sidewalk, or lock their car doors.
We don't know what it's like.
White privilege allowed a lot of us to go to bed last night knowing that what happened in Ferguson was a tragedy, yet also knowing that in a lot of ways it would never touch our lives. It allows us a level of security and power that others will never know, bestowed upon us simply because of the color of our skin.
White privilege has nothing to do with how hard you've worked in your life. It has nothing to do with advantages you have or haven't been born with economically. It's the skin you're walking around in. The skin that allows you to distance yourself so easily from Trayvon's parents and Michael's parents. That makes it easy to say "trouble maker" or "thug" instead of child. That allows you to dismiss so much because, well, it isn't you.
And yes, I know you have friends who are people of color. You may even have family members. Here's an idea. Talk to them. Ask them what life is really like for them. For some, yes, they may be lucky and not experience the injustice. But you may be surprised what you find out.
The bottom line is, the fight that Dr. King and Malcolm X and all of the other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement began in the 1950s and 1960s is still continuing. We should be well on our way to the time when the protests that are happening now are not needed. Until then, all of us need to keep fighting. Because we are truly not living up to our ideals as a nation otherwise.
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