Divided By Race

When Barack Obama became president, most observers expected race relations to improve.  As a candidate, he told us that whether we were black or white we were Americans first.  The mere fact that so many whites voted for him was also evidence that old biases had eroded.

That, however, is not how things worked out.  Barack, despite his verbal elegance, was a divisive figure.  We did not realize just how divisive until he was succeeded by Donald Trump.  Now we find Trump routinely accused of racism based on little or no proof.

The latest indication of accelerating racial tensions arose after black football players refused to stand during the playing of the national anthem and Trump called those who emulated them out.  Although administration spokespersons stoutly insisted that this was about honoring the flag, his adversaries contended it was about race.

When this issue came up in one of my Kennesaw State University classes, the passions produced in my black students were evident.  How, they wondered, could anyone accuse them of not being patriotic?  Taking a knee when the anthem played was a protest against racism, not disrespect for the flag.

These students were sincere.  They genuinely believed their words.  What they did not realize was how offended most white Americans were.  They did not understand that a symbol many of their countrymen revere was being maligned.

The point is that although blacks regularly demand that whites understand their situation, the reverse is seldom expected.  Those who oppose racism correctly ask others to appreciate the plight of African-Americans.  The damage done by centuries of oppression has to be recognized if reforms are to succeed.

What gets lost in the translation is that whites are also people.  They too have feelings and dilemmas.  To ask that only they understand black sensibilities, while simultaneously excusing blacks from sympathizing with theirs, is a prescription for lasting frictions.

As long as all blacks are regarded as injured innocents, whereas all whites are treated as privileged despots, racial reconciliation is impossible.  With one side always regarded as the good guys and the other as the bad ones, resentments are guaranteed to chafe.

That reformers demand a reversal of the moral status of the races is comprehensible.  On the surface, this seems a reasonable way to balance the scales.  Nonetheless, no one likes to be disparaged.  This goes for whites as well as blacks.  Thus, if we constantly tell people that they are depraved, they will not thank us.

This goes not only for individuals, but the nation with which they identify.  Defile its flag or show contempt for its anthem and they will not be pleased.  It is a slap in the face that few humans appreciate.

African-Americans need friends.  We all need friends.  But, as ought to be realized, in order to get a friend, one must be a friend.  This truth about human relationships extends beyond the racial divide.

When people have been grievously injured, it is natural for them to retreat into a defensive posture.  They look inward because their wounds continue to ache.  Even so, they must eventually understand those with whom they must deal.  Only in this way can they get ahead.

This is true for children, who, when they become adults, must now perceive their parents as three-dimensional beings.  It is likewise true for blacks who need to recognize whites as fellow humans.  If not, they will never be able to distinguish their friends from their foes.

Overcoming the consequences of slavery has been a long-term ordeal.  We have been dealing with this festering sore since the Civil War.  No doubt we are fated to deal with it for many more decades.

Crucial to this process has been the requirement that whites recognize the humanity of blacks.  They need to come to terms with their past prejudices and habits of discrimination.  But, as is so often the case, this is a two-way street.  Blacks too must overcome deeply entrenched habits of mind.

The legacy of slavery is very much with us.  Whatever our hopes, it was never destined to disappear in a puff of legislative smoke.  As a result, if we are to make progress, there is work to do.  This goes for whites, but also blacks.  As humans, we must all cope with the sensitivities and weaknesses that go with being human.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University