“I’ve never been black. I’ve never been faced with the challenges that they face.” – Baltimore Orioles manager, Buck Showalter

 Buck’s courageous, heartfelt, reaction to the events in Baltimore inspired me to weigh-in on Baltimore, but without offering yet another set of judgments about the police, Freddie Gray’s rap sheet, or black urban culture. Instead I want to ask myself – and white people – important questions. Contemplative and provocative, even challenging, questions that as members of white culture, I suspect we rarely get asked. Questions for which there are no simple answers or solutions.

Unlike the all-too-recent tragic loss of life of young black men, I have never faced a series of events where I have been ignored, invalidated, demonized and threatened repeatedly in my life. Because I have not, I cannot comprehend how it would impact my daily routine and sense of self-regard, confidence and personal safety. As whites this invisible cloak readily allows us to take to the streets and engage in violent protests and celebrations, and likely not be labeled as thugs or worse.

As white people contemplate the questions, realize that I am not implying that the events in Baltimore are somehow your fault. They are not. You did not personally cause the death of Freddie Gray or the community response in Baltimore. No one is suggesting this or blaming you personally (at least I am not).

I present these questions as an opportunity for whites to hold up a mirror and engage each other around some of the issues that sustain racial inequity.

THE QUESTIONS

• How does my choice to ignore my skin color affect my view of the world?
• How does proliferating the mindset of meritocracy further distort the stark different realities facing black and white men?
• What would it take for me and other whites to take to the streets in violent protest because we felt no other options were available? What would our daily lives have to be like to get to this point?
• How do I strengthen the muscle of curiosity and inquiry to replace my impulse to pass immediate judgment on others based on my own interpretation of an event like Baltimore?
• What is keeping me from more readily seeing and believing that non-whites face many systemic obstacles and barriers that cannot simply be removed by their sheer will, tenacity or hard work?
• What is the work I need to do to create a level playing field for all? How will doing this work also support and sustain my and other dominant group members’ self- interest?

I am the first to admit that I am far from perfect in my responses to these questions.

Sometimes I pass immediate judgement on those I disagree with. I’ve cultivated to a fine art the skills of finding solidarity with those whom I agree with, as a way to vilify and disassociate with those I do not. I need to stop this and I believe so do many others, particularly those of us lucky to be members of normative/dominant groups.

THE DOMINANT GROUP MAKES THE RULES

Members of the dominant group – white, straight, Christian, middle-upper class, able- bodied persons – are the least aware of the advantages their position gives them. We see our world as one of meritocracy. This can lead to challenges for others when they attempt to bring their very different reality to our attention. I am suggesting that we, as the white dominant group must be able to discern the impact the rules of the dominant culture have on others. To do that we have to notice difference as we also notice sameness. We easily see sameness, but often we struggle how to acknowledge or address differences. Why? Because part of the hallmark of dominant US culture is that we believe that the will and tenacity of the individual can trump all barriers and struggles. It’s all grit, perseverance and hard work. We blame poverty on the poor; hardship on those experiencing it; and if there is failure, we tell ourselves that it is our own doing, plain and simple.

HOW MERITOCRACY FUELS SYSTEMIC INEQUITY

Meritocracy is the belief that everything happens to a person because of their ability, talent or merit. Thinking everything happens solely because of merit and no other factors, contributes to the erroneous thinking that the playing field is level because we have a black president, a Supreme Court Justice, or other notable public black figures. The ability to see systemic inequity can be obscured by a blinding belief that these types examples are reason why anyone can do it, if they just try hard enough. The way I learned about it growing up was by being told, if you can dream it, you can do it. And if you can’t, you have only yourself to blame. Ignoring difference has to stop. Because when we believe that everyone is the same, that is, an individual who can achieve whatever they want if they just apply themselves hard enough, we obscure the daily reality that many non-whites face when they engage in a world that invalidates their difference or worse sees their difference as threatening and menacing.

I AM NOT AN IDEALIST (WELL, MAYBE PARTLY)
I am not an idealist (well, maybe partly) so I know these are big questions that do not have easy or quick answers. I know there will be some who may read judgment from my words, but if you do nothing else from reading this piece, can you at least ask, how am I being an agent of change for the generations to follow (that’s all the children, not just mine)?  And if you are one who has always said, I don’t see skin color or gender or whatever, I just treat everyone the same, can you honestly say that the treatment of imprisoned or dead young black men caught up in the centrifuge of racism would be the same if it were your white son or grandson?

You and I, my white brothers and sisters, have a responsibility to be the change so this happens. So thanks, Buck, for your simple, yet heartfelt, words. I hope my words have gotten others taking the questions to heart. Now let’s get to work living the answers.