Should Black People Be Asked to Forgive?
So I was reading about Bush, and then after I read about Bush I read about Obama and Trump at Bush's funeral. What the writer was taking issue with was that Obama, through his disgust for Trump and Trump's policies, had to smile and act polite, and all. Clinton didn't have to do the same, and she very much ignored Trump the whole time. But had the Obamas done the same, they would have been accused of being rude, dividing the country, etc., because they were black.
I was strongly reminded of O.G. Simpson's case after reading that article; more specifically, the reactions of black people after the verdict came out. Many were characterized as almost "vindictively happy", and even though many of them hadn't believed that O.G. was innocent, they were just pleased that at least one black guy had received justice. In return, white people claimed that blacks had turned the tables and were now the ones hating, discriminating, etc.
In popular culture, for some reason, it's often on the black person to correct the wrong: to forgive, and forget, and try to reconcile; anger is frowned upon and considered an example of "ungratefulness". That may have come from the civil rights movements of the 1960s, which white people do largely approve of, but I believe for slightly skewed reasons. Unlike the later Black Power movements of the 1970s, which were very unpopular, MLK asked for other black people to forgive and be kind to whites no matter what. In a sense, that puts the burden on black people to make things right.
That seems to largely agree with the modern status quo, that blacks are held accountable for forgiveness they shouldn't have to offer; that their "grace" is taken for granted until react for once, and then they are criminals once more.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/problem-when-they-go-low-we-go-high/577543/
I was strongly reminded of O.G. Simpson's case after reading that article; more specifically, the reactions of black people after the verdict came out. Many were characterized as almost "vindictively happy", and even though many of them hadn't believed that O.G. was innocent, they were just pleased that at least one black guy had received justice. In return, white people claimed that blacks had turned the tables and were now the ones hating, discriminating, etc.
In popular culture, for some reason, it's often on the black person to correct the wrong: to forgive, and forget, and try to reconcile; anger is frowned upon and considered an example of "ungratefulness". That may have come from the civil rights movements of the 1960s, which white people do largely approve of, but I believe for slightly skewed reasons. Unlike the later Black Power movements of the 1970s, which were very unpopular, MLK asked for other black people to forgive and be kind to whites no matter what. In a sense, that puts the burden on black people to make things right.
That seems to largely agree with the modern status quo, that blacks are held accountable for forgiveness they shouldn't have to offer; that their "grace" is taken for granted until react for once, and then they are criminals once more.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/problem-when-they-go-low-we-go-high/577543/
This was a really good post about a really interesting idea. I think part of the reason whites react so negatively about black people being confrontational towards whites instead of forgiving is due to the fact that they oftentimes don't see or get to experience the oppression and discrimination black people feel. As Joseph Stalin once said, "The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of a million is a statistic." They hear about how blacks are supposedly oppressed and racially profiled, but because they never get the chance to actually relate to the discrimination on a personal level, they don't realize the full extent of it. As a result, they're surprised when blacks react bitterly to them
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting idea that isn't talked about very much, which is surprising given how racially driven modern day discussion is. I think that we can group this with the long list of things black people have to endure that other people don't. Specifically, this reminds me a lot about the story that we heard in class, about the woman at the grocery store. You often see how black people are targeted for being agressive, purely because of the color of their skin. There is absolutly a double standard when it comes to their behavior. This can be added to a laundry list of prejudices black people face, and microagressions towards them.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I will have to politely disagree with some of the ideas brought about in your blog post.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, I believe your analysis of the interactions between the Trumps, Obamas, and Clintons is inaccurate. The Obamas did not greet the Trumps because the Obamas were black. The Obamas greeted the Trumps because the Obamas are a graceful couple. The Clintons failed to greet the Trumps because Hillary Clinton is still sulking about being stiffed by the Donald in the 2016 Election. In times of grief as Americans, differences in politics and conflicts in business must be put aside to be polite, especially when it comes to paying respect to an American hero, such as George HW Bush.
Secondly, the Obamas would not have been crucified by the media and the public if they had acted in a similar fashion as the Clintons. In fact, the media probably would have applauded the Obamas for standing up to the Trumps. However, I can guarantee that if the positions of the Clintons and the Trumps were reveresed, and if the Trumps gave the Clintons the same treatment, the Trumps would have been lambasted.
Thirdly, many African Americans during post-OJ Simpson trial were vindictively happy, not because a black man had gotten justice, but because a black man had cheated justice, which in turn was an act of justice in the eyes of African Americans.
Lastly, in popular culture, I do not think that it is a common belief for black people to be required to right the wrongs of society. I do not believe there has been any specific pressure on African Americans to "make things right." During his speech calling African Americans to forgive and be kind to white, MLK Jr. was highlighting the importance of assimilation in America. MLK believed assimilation into white culture was the only way African Americans could be admitted to the upper tranche of society.