July 21, 2013
White Shame, Black Pain
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The day after the verdict issued in the George Zimmerman case, I heard a white reporter say there was a lot of shame in America that day. For all of their shame, I could not help but wonder if any of them felt our pain.
Whether we’re experiencing shame or pain, the question is, "Where do we go from here?" It's not enough to criticize President Obama for what he did or did not say. I understood him clearly when he said, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon”. He was identifying with every parent who’d ever lost a child to such violence. For me, he didn’t have to say more.
As veiled as the President’s response may sound to some, it represents a call to action for all of us to act before another tragedy is brought to our own doorstep. This time, when he said, “a jury has spoken”, he didn’t stop there. He reminded us of what all Americans must do. It sounds like some of the President’s critics missed his statement when he said, “ ...we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.”
Some of us put in our earplugs because too many of us don’t like to go beyond meeting and talking. We want someone else to do what must be done. Too many of us are happy criticizing others—but fail to ask ourselves, what we can do to make a difference.
Attorney General Eric Holder told us we need to change the “Stand Your Ground” laws. Since these are enacted through states, we need to deal with state politicians. Each of us has a voice and a vote.
You must register to vote and, once you are, help somebody else register. Vote in every election even if it’s only for dog catcher! Contact the people who run your state and let them know where you stand on laws and practices. Don’t spend your money in states that don’t respect your civil and human rights. Take a lesson from Stevie Wonder. Don’t lend your talents to states with unfair laws. Don’t take your children to see a rat at Disney World. Instead, take them to places like Washington, DC, where they can experience memorials for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and others who risked their lives for justice.
The times demand action from more of us—African, Hispanic, Asian, Native and white Americans, LGBT friends, women, the disabled—everyone benefitting from the Civil Rights Movement.
Whether feeling shame or pain, now is the time to stand up for civil and human rights for all. Lord knows, African-Americans have made sacrifices to make America a better nation. The blood, sweat and tears of our ancestors didn’t omit anyone while seeking justice for us. If African Americans came up out of slavery to accomplish all that we have for this nation, surely others can help to rid us of “Stand Your Ground” laws that do nothing more than encourage violence. Together, we can make voting a constitutional right for all. Together, we can overcome the disparities in our system of justice. The question is, “Are we willing to help each other through this shame and pain”?
(Dr. E. Faye Williams is National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. 202/678-6788. www.nationalcongressbw.org)