I've always had that this theory that if the world
suddenly became more of a dystopia (Hunger Games/Walking Dead) than it already
appeared to be, that those in the dominant group would cut all the crap of
civility and finally begin to truly live within the abilities granted them by various
forms of privilege (I.e. Racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamaphobia,
xenophobia... so on so forth).
Welp- cue the horns... This election, and America
basically proved me right. And you know what... it really hurts.
Now there have been plenty of scholarly folks that back
my theory. The
Critical Race Theory, for one, makes it very clear that within the context
of race, dominant groups only dismantle portions of their dominance, if and
only if they are benefit for them. (CRT has many other gems, please research at
your leisure)
I've listened to the standards in Black thought and the
architects of my new-age liberation (Davis, Baldwin, West, Alexander, DuBois,
even Coates). I've seen the ebb and flow of support for marginalized folks
within systems like higher education (programs built for grit and support of
1st gen students the live alongside programs that prioritize quality of housing
based on incoming grades, testing and strength of high school). The criminal
justice system determines the severity of the drug charge based on
what boils down to the race of the individual most likely to use that drug.
Governmental agencies devalue minority families by withholding resources to 2 parent
households and continuously allowing the myth that the standard welfare mother
is named Shakisharita, has 5 kids, a hair weave, and acrylics while the truth
is that she
typically is single, rural, with children, AND White!
Even after all of what I've read and what I've seen,
Tuesday night was a slow death. Wednesday was a somber funeral. I was
hurt.
Now I don't want to talk about 3rd party voters, the half
of the country that stayed home, or the more that 100,000 jack asses that voted
for harambe. I want to specifically address the "well meaning"
dominant privilege folks,
(My coworkers, professors, administrators, friends from
church, neighbors, lady at the bank, ministers, friends from college, parents
of my child's classmates, school teachers...)
who walk along side me and other marginalized folks,
smiling and joking and pretending to care about me and ours that snuck off into
voting booths, when no one was watching and purposefully cast a vote for a
bigot, liar, rapist...so on and so forth. Not a suspected or alleged bigot,
liar, rapist, homophobe, Islamaphobe... but a real live, proven, on tape bigot,
liar, rapist, homophobe, Islamaphobe...
Regardless of your "legitimate" reasoning for
casting your vote for Ol Boy, your vote, investment in the bigot, moved me and
mine (people you pretend to respect and love) closer to that society where my
life is at risk because it is less valued than yours. That's it...
On Tuesday, when you cast your vote for them, you
acknowledged that my life, and my ability to live it like you can in your
dominance, didn't matter to you. You voted with them and as the clearly stated
throughout their campaign, a vote for them was a vote against me.
And on Wednesday, it began... you've seen the reports...
your children have taken this act that you have modeled for them out into the world
in force....
2
men driving through a women's college harassing them with the campaign signs of
an admitted rapist...
Grade school children chanting
build a wall while their Latinx classmates cry...
It was a day when many unsuspecting marginalized children
learned that the world was never meant to be safe for them. They realized that
in a dystopia, they (the others) are the prey. They are afraid... as they should be in the context of this world... and
that hurts to write... but it's the truth.
You've seen the reports... and now you my friend are
concerned... more so you are embarrassed... as you should be... but what's done
is done.
I now know that all of this "I love all
people", "I don't see difference" bull is what you say to
preserve the working relationships that you have in mixed company. Besides
whether or not you "see color".
The
fact of the matter is... Today... I... See... You...
A slow death. A somber funeral. So many are definitely going through the stages of grief.
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