A Chaplain’s Thoughts:Our Emmitt Till Moment Is Now!
Throughout history, we have been reminded that if one of us is not safe, then no one is safe. We fought two world wars against tyranny. We learned from books like Animal House and Lord of the Flies that power is intoxicating and not easily relinquished, especially when it is in the hands of abusive authority figures. Imagine this re-interpretation of a well-known quote at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
“First they came for African Americans, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t an African American.
Then they came for peaceful, young white protestors, and I didn’t speak up because they weren’t my children or grandchildren.
Then they knocked a 75-year old man to the ground in Buffalo, NY and kept walking while the blood from his head ran profusely on the sidewalk. I didn’t speak up because he wasn’t my Dad or Grandpa.
They blocked meaningful police reform and failed to vote on anti-lynching legislation. I didn’t speak up because I’ve never been threatened by police or modern-day lynching.
Then the President was elected to a second term, declared martial law and stayed in power for a third term. I didn’t speak up because I was a Republican.
Finally, there came a day that people like me fell out of favor, and by that time no one was willing to speak up for me.”
In 1955, the racialized murder of Emmitt Till in Money, Mississippi ignited events in the Deep South that led to the Civil Rights Era. With the police murder of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis, we are at another “Emmitt Till moment”. However, our ability to affect change this time depends on our willingness to look in the mirror, stand up to tyranny in all forms and stop playing it safe.
LOOK IN THE MIRROR
Every human being holds unconscious biases. They begin to form early in life and are fed by our nuclear family, traumatic experiences, jokes we learned as adolescents and the beliefs passed on to us by people we love and respect. We then reinforce our biases whenever we latch onto information, stories or experiences that appear to confirm our internal beliefs. Here are some classic examples of unconscious bias:
- Older white people are racist
- Blacks are violent and dishonest
- Asians are smart and successful
- Women drive badly and do not make good leaders
- Wealthy people have no empathy or compassion
- The police are always right; [or] always wrong.
All of us have daily opportunities to challenge our unconscious biases. When you meet a person that does not fit your internal beliefs about a group, don’t instantly categorize that person as an exception. If one person with certain positive qualities exists, realize there are millions more. Allow yourself to be a lifelong learner when it comes to human behavior and make corrections to your belief system when you can.
STAND UP TO TYRANNY
In the middle of the 20th century, Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo were not the only tyrannical figures that the world had to challenge and defeat. America had its own cast of infamous characters: FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Alabama Gov. George Wallace, Senator Joseph McCarthy and President Richard Nixon to name a few. In each case, Americans and countless other brave men and women around the world were forced to put their reputations, careers and at times their lives on the line in order to call out abuses of power, corruption and illegality. In 2020, we are faced with the same dilemma. Police, legislators, business leaders and the President are all challenging our faith, dignity, sense of right and wrong and our courage. So far, we are failing the test.
STOP PLAYING IT SAFE
Many people are ducking their heads waiting for someone else to speak up or act. We all have careers to look after and families to feed. I get it. However, every one of us holds a voice and a measure of power that can be exercised without wrecking our lives and resumes.
Can you give a donation to a legitimate organization that supports equality, the First Amendment or people in crisis?
Can you commit this year to make a friend that doesn’t vote like you, love like you or speak like you?
Can you hire a qualified employee for your organization that: a) Is under-represented in your company or industry and; b) Is a good fit for your corporate culture?
Can you walk into a voting booth and cast a ballot for a candidate who is moral, committed to protecting all citizens and a good example for our children?
George Floyd and his family are paying a terrible price in order to effect change in this country. Four Minneapolis police officers and their families are also paying terrible prices for change. Many others will make crushing and horrific sacrifices before this is all over. Will their blood, sweat, tears and lives be spent in vain or will you and I step up and act like Americans, not just in name only but in spirit and action?
A Chaplain’s Thoughts . . . is a new series of articles reflecting my professional interactions with members of the community and observations of the mind, body and spirit.
