Karin Meersman
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read

That harsh light you describe brings home the daily humiliation and stigma your community experiences. More than stories about violence and deprivation. It must be horrible.

Whenever I read a post about racism I get the impression that the writer is talking about a single group of African Americans. I live in Europe so I don’t know if that is true. If it is, it’s a mistake. The Muslims, the African Americans, the Hispanics, the gays… are all people being targeted and stigmatized. A lot of white Americans are frightened by what they see happening in their country. They can also be friends.

Together you form a big group. I hope you can find each other because united you can be strong. I don’t believe that the problem of racism will be solved on the level at which it is created and you need to think inside a bigger context than the racists. There are no cowboys and Indians.

You kept saying ‘something must be done’. Well, how do you expect a racist to react when a black man is elected to be president twice? Sure, something must be done. After Obama they elected Trump because ‘something needs to be done’. In a sense, the humiliation you are experiencing is also sign that things are shifting. You are humiliated because white racists feel threatened. Selma meant a great step forwards and when leaps are made, lots of people panic.

But what is frightening is the current economic climate and Trumpians looking for a scapegoat. That is familiar and I understand you comparing Chicago with the Warsaw ghetto. The criminals are under no threat, the police will not dare to risk many lives to take them on. But the people who do not want to be part of a gang and seek a decent life and education are greatly at risk. Who defends them? Who speaks for them? The people complaining about violent neighborhoods are exactly the ones who want you to be the caricature and ‘take sides’.

Try to ignore Trumps tweets (not easy, I know), the man is a narcissist and he will do anything to get attention. If he has to say he had sex with Poetin in a bananabath, he will not hesitate to do so.

    Karin Meersman

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