Whose Truth?
I am often struck by the fact that two or more of us humans can perceive X situation or event and form opposing conclusions.
On this day of the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assignation which I incorrected posted yesterday, (I wrote as if yesterday was April 4 instead of April 3 – oh well), I and many other are acutely aware of the opposing “truths” about the status of racism in this country. Many people with whom I talk claim that they never hear or observe any indication of racism. In fact, many people with whom I talk suggest that racism is an excuse used by some to avoid the real issues about which one needs to be concerned. Some point to the fact that this country had a Black president, that there are more black news commentators and others in positions of leadership than there was 50 years ago. Yet, as an AP article of this date entitled “Martin Luther King, Jr., 50 Years Later” points out African Americans point to ongoing issues of treatment by police, the criminal justice system and voting rights as three areas which are, in some ways as bad or even worse than they were 50 years ago. Many Caucasian people in the United States disagree with this assessment.
Here in Wheeling, West Virginia there is hardly a day goes by that I do not hear someone preface a description of someone as a black person. No matter what the context, but especially if it story has a negative theme or point it seems important to indicate that the person is a person of color. When I ask what the color of the person has to do with the story, the person will usually stumble and say, “Well, nothing, but …”
I do not know any African American males who have not been stopped by the police no matter what their profession or status in the community and no matter whether there is any reason to stop them.
Is it possible that black people are more likely to be sent to prison and get longer prison sentences and have their parole or probation violated more often? Is it possible that if we treat a person or a group of people consistently as less then that they will begin to internalize a negative view of themselves? If one internalizes a negative view of themselves and their abilities are they more likely to give up hope for a better life? Is institutionalized racism or other prejudice a method for creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Wait. The topic is seemingly opposing truths. It is true that friends who tell me that they never hear or see any instances of racism in the community in which we are living in fact never hear or see any instances of racism in the community? It is equally true that I frequently hear and see instances of racism in the very same community. It is true that more black people are convicted of crimes or more black people are incarcerated and for longer periods of time? If we look carefully at actual cases many factors including, race, position and money play a role in the outcome of criminal charges. It is true that if we look with a systemic eye and listen with a systemic ear that we will see and hear a different truth than if we look at just individual cases.
The question is how do we learn to listen and to look with new ears and new eyes. The question is how do we come to accept that we can have many opposing truths. The question is how does one build self- esteem which is not based on a particular set of truths. The question is how do we learn to share how we arrive at a particular truth without insisting that it is “The TRUTH”.
Written April 4, 2018
I am often struck by the fact that two or more of us humans can perceive X situation or event and form opposing conclusions.
On this day of the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assignation which I incorrected posted yesterday, (I wrote as if yesterday was April 4 instead of April 3 – oh well), I and many other are acutely aware of the opposing “truths” about the status of racism in this country. Many people with whom I talk claim that they never hear or observe any indication of racism. In fact, many people with whom I talk suggest that racism is an excuse used by some to avoid the real issues about which one needs to be concerned. Some point to the fact that this country had a Black president, that there are more black news commentators and others in positions of leadership than there was 50 years ago. Yet, as an AP article of this date entitled “Martin Luther King, Jr., 50 Years Later” points out African Americans point to ongoing issues of treatment by police, the criminal justice system and voting rights as three areas which are, in some ways as bad or even worse than they were 50 years ago. Many Caucasian people in the United States disagree with this assessment.
Here in Wheeling, West Virginia there is hardly a day goes by that I do not hear someone preface a description of someone as a black person. No matter what the context, but especially if it story has a negative theme or point it seems important to indicate that the person is a person of color. When I ask what the color of the person has to do with the story, the person will usually stumble and say, “Well, nothing, but …”
I do not know any African American males who have not been stopped by the police no matter what their profession or status in the community and no matter whether there is any reason to stop them.
Is it possible that black people are more likely to be sent to prison and get longer prison sentences and have their parole or probation violated more often? Is it possible that if we treat a person or a group of people consistently as less then that they will begin to internalize a negative view of themselves? If one internalizes a negative view of themselves and their abilities are they more likely to give up hope for a better life? Is institutionalized racism or other prejudice a method for creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Wait. The topic is seemingly opposing truths. It is true that friends who tell me that they never hear or see any instances of racism in the community in which we are living in fact never hear or see any instances of racism in the community? It is equally true that I frequently hear and see instances of racism in the very same community. It is true that more black people are convicted of crimes or more black people are incarcerated and for longer periods of time? If we look carefully at actual cases many factors including, race, position and money play a role in the outcome of criminal charges. It is true that if we look with a systemic eye and listen with a systemic ear that we will see and hear a different truth than if we look at just individual cases.
The question is how do we learn to listen and to look with new ears and new eyes. The question is how do we come to accept that we can have many opposing truths. The question is how does one build self- esteem which is not based on a particular set of truths. The question is how do we learn to share how we arrive at a particular truth without insisting that it is “The TRUTH”.
Written April 4, 2018
RSS Feed