“We’re Number 1.”
Volume 2 Number 22
“We’re number 1.”
Collectively, Americans have proclaimed those words with cause for countless reasons. Now the United States can now lay claim to the top spot on another leaderboard: country with the most COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths on the planet.
Yay.
I won’t belabor the matter. This tweet by actor, rapper, and activist Ice-T sums up my views on the to-mask-or-not-to-mask debate.
“At this point, wearing a Mask in public is more of an IQ test.” —ICE-T, Twitter
This week’s Our Human Family writers tackle the motivations and machinations that bring about the equality we seek on interpersonal and national levels.
OHF editor and writer stephen matlock dissects one of the ways our nation arrived at this place of racial inequity and shares what motivates him and many more to continue their fight for equality in his latest article, “From Levittown to Black Lives Matter.”
In her OHF debut article “Microaggressions Are Not Micro in Their Effect,” Cara Harbstreet surveys the need to erect and enforce boundaries to protect oneself against microaggressions that appear socially acceptable and are rarely questioned.
Veteran journalist Peter Faur posits Germany’s approach to memorial statuary as a possible way forward for the U.S. in reconsidering our national approach to erected and future monuments in “Time for a New Set of Statues.”
Each of these articles provides a fresh perspective on topics at the forefront of our national conversations. Enjoy!
New This Week
“From Levittown to Black Lives Matter”
by stephen matlock
“Why are you still protesting Black Lives Matter? Racism is over!”
or
“We arrested the police officers who killed George Floyd. Why are you still protesting?”
Have you heard these questions? I have. Many times. From white people.
The question seems fair. Why protest for an incident that is going to be investigated and the police officers held accountable? Can’t we all just go home? (continued at Medium.com)
“Microaggressions Are Not Micro in Their Effect”
by Cara Harbstreet (She/Her)
“Where are you from?”
I answer it truthfully but brace myself to hear what I know will come next. In these encounters, my initial reply is less than satisfactory to the inquirer and they inevitably dig deeper.
“No, I mean, where are you really from?” Sometimes it’s, “Oh, that’s not that I meant.” Or even framed as, “Well, where are your parents from?”
If I expand in enough detail to appease them, we move on but no matter how few words are exchanged, I’ve gotten the message loud and clear: “I’m not sure you belong here.”
And that’s the thing about microaggressions. They don’t have to be obvious. Overt. Blatantly racist or bigoted. But to some, this stings more sharply than the type of racism you can see coming from a mile away. At least when that happens, you know what you’re in for. It’s sometimes easier to disengage or remove yourself from harm’s way when it’s obvious. But how do you erect and enforce boundaries to protect yourself against the insidious nature of microaggressions that are socially acceptable and rarely questioned? (continued at Medium.com)
“Time for a New Set of Statues”
by Peter Faur
The United States is slowly rethinking how to talk about and present our 400-year history of racism. As we do so, it’s useful to see how Germany is addressing the ugliest part of its heritage — Nazism and the Holocaust.
I’ve been to Germany twice within the past decade. I can attest that, like much of Europe, the country loves statues. I’ve seen my fair share of three-dimensional likenesses of Martin Luther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, and Otto von Bismarck. Each of these heroes of Germany’s religious and cultural heritage was flawed — aren’t we all? — but they’ve been memorialized throughout the country. Rightly so, I think.
Not surprisingly, I’ve never seen a statue of Adolf Hitler, and there are no buildings, parks, plazas, or government compounds named after Hitler, Göring, Goebbels, Hess, Heydrich, Eichmann, or other high-ranking Nazis. The country would never think of honoring its cruelest, most infamous citizens. (continued at Medium)
Last Looks
You can always find Our Human Family articles on Medium and Twitter, and friend-linked versions posted on our Facebook page for your convenience. Be sure to check out our Instagram page. Comment, follow us, and share our articles with people you think would enjoy them. And as always, you’re welcome to chat with us on Twitter.
Have a safe and enjoyable July 4th weekend!
Love one another.
Clay Rivers
Our Human Family, Founder and Editorial Director
