As ongoing protests raise the issue of racial injustice and police violence, dismantling racism here will take a harder look within
Above: Protesters gather in downtown Asheville after a grand jury refused to indict an NYPC officer for the killing of Eric Garner. Photo by Max Cooper.
Cities across the country organized responses to the decision by the grand jury not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Not long after, the fury of protesters was intensified after another grand jury’s decision not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death — captured on video — of Staten Island resident Eric Garner.
As a black woman living in Southern Appalachia, I deeply appreciate Asheville’s initiative to gather and demonstrate indignation — in rallies, vigils and protests for weeks — against gross racial injustice. Your presence has been felt and your voice heard. Thank you for standing in solidarity with us and for us.
Now, let us take the time to observe this moment and look inward. Count our blessings. We are privileged to be offered this day, a day of “peaceful protest” because across this nation there are souls that can’t seem to bottle up their grief, deep mourning, disappointment and show up in the spirit of “peace.” They’ve heard “ashes to ashes and dust to dust” spoken over too many loved ones and community members. Traumatized, they are haunted by covert and overt racial injustice daily. They petition God to place a hedge of protection around their husbands and sons, then hope they make it home at night without facing an indignant cop, vigilante or a bullet.
Protesters gather in front of the Vance monument after the decision not to indict Darren Wilson is announced. Photo by Max Cooper.
Yes, we are all living in America and have all faced injustice and discrimination in some form, but historically black citizens have faced far larger, sometimes insurmountable hardships that were intentional, legal and generationally devastating. So don’t be too quick to condemn the ones who loot, destroy and set things ablaze. We ALL raise hell when hell rises against us. This is how some Americans respond to centuries of oppression and a system that still justifies the murders of unarmed black men and boys in pure daylight.
The question is: what principles and motives govern your response?
We have gotten too pious and priggish with our protest. White friends, as you plan and organize from the comforts of local coffee shops, in dorm rooms protected by a blanket of racial and class privilege, be mindful that the key to changing systemic racism cannot be carried out without black leadership or guidance. Allow our experiences of victimization precedence over the narratives you’ve contrived and tactics you’ve adopted.
This is not the time to generalize your compassions. This is not the time to file this matter in the endless archives of your broad humanitarian scope. Racial oppression must be the focus of this work. If our goal is to dismantle racism it requires altruism, sacrifice and commitment.
Let me reiterate: I am glad you are here and I don’t mean to preach, discredit your efforts or minimize the spirit of the moment, but I believe we have the potential to plunge deeper. Seek inward for more ways to raise awareness about systemic racism and the privilege society grants to those with white skin.
We can’t all chant “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” and “I Can’t Breathe” with the same certitude, but we can all play our roles in eradicating behaviors, policies and procedures and systems that mirror and reflect the institution of chattel slavery.
Identifying key roles and responsibilities are key to elevating this from a momentum to a movement, so let’s turn to the media. Mass media is notorious for slanting their presentation of blacks in America, adding to criminal stereotypes of black men. Both subtly and sometimes blatantly we are depicting as savage, uneducated and unruly. The media has been an agent of system that sends messages that have been used to justify mass incarceration, disenfranchisement and bloody murder. These media messages have also been used to assist the dominance and control of the status quo. That is until now! Somehow the tables have divinely turned. Media forums, even major, mainstream ones, are now making it possible for the world to see your tyranny, America. The media has strengthened our cause and now:
America, the entire world is watching you.
Africa is watching you.
France is watching you.
Asia is watching you.
And we the people of the Republic are watching you.
Nearly every city in this nation and its people, both black and white, are watching to see if you will continue relishing in white supremacy while we perish in racial injustice.
Through the media, our global neighbors not only see the erupting of raw emotion and unrest, but they also see white protestors, benefactors of this system, standing in unwavering solidarity with us; a crucial relationship that hold on hell of a punch!
We know the beast, but haven’t truly enlisted our time, talent and treasure to shake her and dislodge her power. This age old problem continues to morph, requiring a new set of eyes, tactics and advocacy. We are a new generation of leaders, by default, and we have been deputized to unearth the foundation she walks upon.
Don’t be afraid, we are more equipped than we know! Most of us have gained a better understanding of the complexities of this systemic problem. We know how we internalize racism and oppression. We can also recognize the patterns of thinking, feelings and behaviors that hold us and others hostage within this social construct.
We may not have the answers now, but let’s take a moment to cherish what we do know as we stand at the Vance monument, a space dedicated to a Confederate, segregationist governor. Let’s practice mindfulness as we rehearse “Black Lives Matter” on our way home, traveling on streets that were paved by black slave hands but named after white slave owners. Let’s purpose to diversify our planning with various perspectives, outlooks and voices as we return to our dormitories, especially UNCA. Remember students: your backyard is named after Nicholas Woodfin, the largest slaveholder in this area.
The world is a better place when people of different races stand up for justice together. As we move forward together, let us all be aware of our white privilege, our class privilege and the power that comes with that. We can’t all be victims. We can’t all sing the same woes, but we can all march for justice. Forward together!
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Sheneika Smith is a writer, minister, community activist, single mother and Asheville native. She is a founder of Date My City and part of the ongoing local protests and vigils against racial injustice and police violence.
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