The miracle of sanity
We are the United States
This morning I listened to a rebroadcast of the May 17, 2016 On Being podcast conversation between host Kristra Tippett and the poet and professor Nikki Giovanni. I strongly advise you, the reader, to listen. I especially appreciated her reminders that:
It is not surprising that so many young people in the United States and some other countries are refusing to buy the myth that success and, thus, happiness will arrive with the mega mansion and the high-pressure jobs which is a direct result of and a means to perpetuate the myth. It is amazing that many find the faith to work to create a more just and sustainable community. It is not surprising that many people have been exchanging one lie for another. It is a miracles that many refused to drink the Kool aide
In the midst of slavery and later Jim Crow arose Richard Wright, loving nannies, Marian Anderson, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Arthur Ashe, Shirley Chisholm, George Washington Carver and a host of other African Americans who were not only sane, but making a huge difference in the life of many and the community at large. The list of African Americans who made life easier with automatic elevator doors, the ironing board, the refrigerated truck, the three light traffic light goes on and on even though their names may not have been prominent in our history books. The National Medical Association, the Black Nurses Association, the Gateway Medical Association and many other professional organizations were created to give support to each other and to promote access to care when licensed professional were not allowed the same rights and privileges as their white colleagues. There were and are men and women who refused and refuse to allow racism and all forms of hatred to determine their fate. It is not surprising that many lose hope. It is surprising and amazing that many thrive in spite of the best efforts of those who attempt to define the worth of “others” by constructing many forms of oppression.
Covid-19 has challenged us to hold on to community; to not fall victim to the masked cage. In spite of covid-19 and the rise of hatred the United States had one of the largest voter turnouts of its history this past year. As a result, a man and a woman will be sworn in as president and vice president this week. Recent events have reminded even the most isolated Individuals that racism and other forms of oppression are not dead. Yet, as Nikki Giovani said in her poem following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, “We are Virginia Tech. We will prevail.” we can say,
We are the United States.
We have been often been guilty of silence.
We have often succumbed to the myth of individualism.
We have shopped until we dropped
We have cowed in our privileged homes
We have installed camera to protect the stuff which did not safe us from ourselves.
We were lost and we will be found.
We are the United states.
We are in need of being rescued from the lies we have choked on.
We are the United States.
We are better than our worst selves.
We will prevail.
We will overcome our own sins of silence, denial, and false gods.
We will prevail.
We are the United States.
Written January 16, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
We are the United States
This morning I listened to a rebroadcast of the May 17, 2016 On Being podcast conversation between host Kristra Tippett and the poet and professor Nikki Giovanni. I strongly advise you, the reader, to listen. I especially appreciated her reminders that:
- Slaves arrived scarred but sane after their cruel sale and treatment on the ships bringing them to the United States.
- The fact that when we fully own one emotion or thought we are free to fully own seeming opposing or contradictory emotions. For example, once she admitted did not like “white people” she was free to like white people. As her poem “We are Virginia Tech” states, once one owns the grief and the rage one is free to own one’s strength and joy as a community.
It is not surprising that so many young people in the United States and some other countries are refusing to buy the myth that success and, thus, happiness will arrive with the mega mansion and the high-pressure jobs which is a direct result of and a means to perpetuate the myth. It is amazing that many find the faith to work to create a more just and sustainable community. It is not surprising that many people have been exchanging one lie for another. It is a miracles that many refused to drink the Kool aide
In the midst of slavery and later Jim Crow arose Richard Wright, loving nannies, Marian Anderson, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Arthur Ashe, Shirley Chisholm, George Washington Carver and a host of other African Americans who were not only sane, but making a huge difference in the life of many and the community at large. The list of African Americans who made life easier with automatic elevator doors, the ironing board, the refrigerated truck, the three light traffic light goes on and on even though their names may not have been prominent in our history books. The National Medical Association, the Black Nurses Association, the Gateway Medical Association and many other professional organizations were created to give support to each other and to promote access to care when licensed professional were not allowed the same rights and privileges as their white colleagues. There were and are men and women who refused and refuse to allow racism and all forms of hatred to determine their fate. It is not surprising that many lose hope. It is surprising and amazing that many thrive in spite of the best efforts of those who attempt to define the worth of “others” by constructing many forms of oppression.
Covid-19 has challenged us to hold on to community; to not fall victim to the masked cage. In spite of covid-19 and the rise of hatred the United States had one of the largest voter turnouts of its history this past year. As a result, a man and a woman will be sworn in as president and vice president this week. Recent events have reminded even the most isolated Individuals that racism and other forms of oppression are not dead. Yet, as Nikki Giovani said in her poem following the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, “We are Virginia Tech. We will prevail.” we can say,
We are the United States.
We have been often been guilty of silence.
We have often succumbed to the myth of individualism.
We have shopped until we dropped
We have cowed in our privileged homes
We have installed camera to protect the stuff which did not safe us from ourselves.
We were lost and we will be found.
We are the United states.
We are in need of being rescued from the lies we have choked on.
We are the United States.
We are better than our worst selves.
We will prevail.
We will overcome our own sins of silence, denial, and false gods.
We will prevail.
We are the United States.
Written January 16, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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