Slogans II (The Path to Equality)

My essay concerning the slogan “Black Lives Matter” was not a message against the movement for racial equality. It was an evaluation of the slogan and its effect on that movement. The two things that seem to stymie progress towards racial equality are the concepts of separate and exclusionary. It is my opinion that societal repositioning of the Black Community through assimilation and inclusion is the only way to gain lasting equality and that any narrowing of that mission by words or deeds will make it impossible for real and sustainable change in the future.

The inhabitants of the United States, with the exception of Native Americans, have ancestral origins in other countries. Through the centuries there have been waves of migration from various regions of the world. People have tried to escape different forms of indigenous hardship by traveling to the United States to realize dreams and seek opportunities. Upon arrival to the this advertised “land of opportunity” each of these distinct groups of immigrants were met with some form of prejudice and discrimination levied against them by more historically seasoned Americans. However, none of them have had their culture and heritage completely torn away from them the way African Americans did; none of them were forced to endure and then live with the legacy of slavery the way Black Americans have.

In “Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857” The Supreme Court ruled that, “slaves are the property of their owners and as such are not citizens and as such cannot sue for their freedom. A slave owner is therefor protected by due process in regard to property and thus protected from action by a slave.” The shadow of this egregious decision in which Black People were defined as property still haunts and must be erased by the light of true equality. This hurdle which is left exclusively in front of Black American progress is more than something to be overcome; it is a racial stigma that must be left behind. Black citizens of this country must not waste time trying to find their way back to African heritage. It has been stolen from them and is forever gone. Centuries ago and in times that have passed between now and then, a variety African peoples were randomly snatched from unique cultures, dragged screaming into slavery and sold to the highest bidder. They were painfully separated from loved ones and their families destroyed. Even the genetic connections to their ancestral past have been altered by the degradation of rape and forced animal-like breeding. Tragically there is no reclaiming their African cultures; it is only forward now. Not that anger is unjustified, of course it is but the energy of that rage must be aimed at a future in which Black Americans are equal in society as well as in their own minds.

In the time of segregation the justification was that black and white people were inherently different and should live in separate but equal conditions. This policy was flawed from its inception and produced massive inequality. The reason is simple: separate will always inspire a ladder of hierarchy and therefore prescribed inequality. In any group, team, company, or in society at-large hierarchy defines position and power. Power which is then distributed in accordance to position is then formally recognized or covertly held by those at the top and maintained by a ranking system which was initially inspired by the separation of groups. Consciously or subconsciously when separate groups are formed or recognized as defining, there will be a movement toward a form of valuation. This hierarchy of control which is supported by the concept of remaining separate while engaged in the quest for equality only insures the status quo of power and dooms those who try climb the societal ladder to either waiting for acceptance from those above or a push from the arrival of a lesser held group from below. This is the history of the American melting pot and Black Americans have not even been allowed a rung on the ladder. For this reason a group which remains separate can never achieve equality. If a movement is to be successful it must be able to include itself through the act of assimilation into the existing societal power structure. This can only be achieved by gaining a large base of support within the current power structure. It is literally impossible to affect the outcome or the direction of any endeavor when on the outside looking in. Any gains made in these circumstance are the products of luck, charity, or placation. 

A positive example of achieving equality through assimilation and inclusion is the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Women were considered to be a weaker gender, incapable of sustained logical thinking and driven by emotion. They were characterized as separate from men and by definition less-than. The Women’s Suffrage movement focused on the commonalities which existed between men and women. Their plea for inclusion dispelled the view that women were unequal and espoused the idea of human equality regardless of gender. This message allowed women to recruit large numbers of men to their cause and by doing so gained a voice in the existing power structure. By highlighting all commonalities and refuting all wrongfully held differentiating beliefs concerning gender, women were able to gain the right to vote without being able to vote in the process to achieve their goal.

A failed example of trying to create equality by separation was the “Black Power” movement which was heavily influenced by Malcolm X’s criticism of non-violent protest. Malcolm X was a man of high intelligence and conviction who preached separatism and violence against oppression. He dismissed all connection with White America and sought separate but equal conditions for Black America. He was of the opinion that any connection with the White power structure was a compromise in the quest for equality. Even though he changed his view in the later stages of his life his primary message was one of separation and aggression towards all oppressors. Ultimately and tragically, he was killed by some of his former followers who saw his move away from exclusion and toward inclusion as a weak form of betrayal. While it is true that Malcom X was a great leader and is firmly established as historically iconic, in reality he is only a footnote in the actual progress made by the Civil Rights Movement.

There have been moments in history which have inspired outrage and protests for change. The Black community has been the focus of outrageous acts of racism and violence for centuries. They have risen in protest and, in each instance for relatively short time, caught the attention of society at large. Although they have been fighting for equality for hundreds of years they have failed to achieve it. This is because they have failed to seize the moment of power inspired by current events that caught the attention of a temporarily sympathetic public; to assimilate further into society and therefore gain a real and permanent position of power. They have relied on the energy of the moment to carry them over the hurdle. But invariably that energy dissipates with the passage of time leaving them once again to live in a state of inequality, powerless to change their circumstance. Past protests and demands for equality have managed to get some streets renamed in honor of Black iconic leaders. They have procured a National Holliday in commemoration of the great Dr. King and we now have a Black History month. Recently the “Black Lives Matter” movement has been able to get historical monuments of racist individuals removed from public places. All are isolated symbols of progress granted by those in power to signal change but none translate to actual progress towards equality. It would be wonderful if the image of Harriet Tubman graced the twenty dollar bill but only if it is in recognition of true equality not a concession aimed to appease the furious millions and lull society back to sleep.

I have gone to Washington DC many times. I never tire of looking at the historical artifacts and the visiting the different monuments. There are two monuments I always visit: The Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial. Both men fought against the idea of separation and exclusion and instead advocated a position of assimilation and inclusion in their missions of equality. President Lincoln fought to keep the United States intact and wanted to include the South in the reformation of the Union. Dr. King, utilizing the inclusive force of non-violent protest and shedding light on universal human oneness, wanted black citizens to have equal opportunity to realize the American Dream. Both men were murdered before their plans could come to fruition and absent leadership their dreams for inclusive equality devolved into reactionary policies, disjointed protest and misguided violence. I believe in the movement that flies the “Black Lives Matter” banner but I see the all too familiar unintended division that is caused by the slogan and the misplaced energy that is wasted by its defenders. My hope is that I am wrong and that the initial surge of power that was ignited by that first emotional cry of, “Black lives matter!” can be maintained and create real change. I worry that ten years from now, when once again I am in Washington DC, I will stumble across a monument to the “Black Lives Matter” movement; put there by the powers of today to placate the passion of those who are committed to real change but are distracted by the defense of a divisive and flawed slogan. I dread the thought that I will stand there, as I do at the foot of my other two favorites, and as with them wonder what might have been.