(ThyBlackMan.com) Like nearly every other normal person in this country, I woke up depressed. It felt like the day after a funeral, when you somehow find yourself wondering, “This can’t be it. There’s got to be another option.”
When I heard the judge utter the words “Not guilty” in the George Zimmerman case, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I kept wondering when they were going to give us the comfort of finding him guilty of something, anything. I was in a hotel room all alone, and wondered how there could be so much silence surrounding such an unbelievable event. It was incredibly
surreal.
So, the next morning, when I got on the phone with Rev. Jesse Jackson, I didn’t quite know what to say. But I always know that God gives the words to me when he’s ready, so I wasn’t afraid. I listened to Rev. Jackson, who has been quite consistent and forthright about making sure that we remain focused on what needs to be done: Fighting for our voting rights, and using the Trayvon Martin case as a reminder of just how dire our situation is.
Reverend Jackson’s son, Jonathan, joined me in expressing the need for economic empowerment as a key to overcoming our persistent oppression. Political power without economic power is like having a driver’s license when you can’t even afford to buy a car. Either way, you’re not going anywhere unless someone is charitable enough to give you a ride. But even then, you’ll only go as far as they want you to go.
Later in the day, my thoughts turned toward the White House. This is an interesting time in black American history. Lines have been drawn in the sand, and the thickness of those lines makes it difficult for anyone to walk on both sides of the fence. The president has the difficult job of balancing the interests of white American citizens, corrupt corporations and an angry black constituency, all at the same time. We must respect that.
I am not sure if the president is going to say anything about the injustice that took place in the trial of George Zimmerman. He did issue a statement linking the event to gun violence and calling for greater compassion, but I wonder if the statement is a bit too vague for the times we are in. I wonder if any politician is willing to admit the obvious: Racism is a festering disease that cripples and threatens to rip this nation apart. A disease that is left untreated might kill you, and we know that America’s best years are probably behind it anyway.
Some would say that the president has nothing to do with this situation and no obligation to say a word. OK, fine. But that would also imply that he had no obligation to say a word about the kids who died at Sandy Hook or when the woman was called a “slutt” by commentator Rush Limbaugh. The reason that black people continue to endure this kind of pain is because too many of us are content with sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves and not demanding action out of our political leaders. Crying about it, praying about it, and screaming “oh lawdy” in the wind only gets us more of the abuse to which we’ve become accustomed.
I have no doubt that both the president and his wife Michelle would have loved to see Zimmerman go to prison for what he did. In fact, I know someone who went to prison for over a decade after killing someone who pulled a gun out on him, so only a racist would believe that black men are so superhuman that we have to be shot and killed in order to be controlled: We’re human beings, not bears in the woods. There is also the case of Marissa Alexander, also in Florida (who had the same prosecutor as George Zimmerman, Angela Corey), who received 20 years in prison for firing warning shots at her abusive husband. Of course, there is also the case of Gabriella Calhoun, the honor student facing prison time after police knocked her teeth out and tried to choke her to death. She is the same age that Trayvon Martin would be if he were alive today.
Sure, Obama could remain silent, and a lot of people wouldn’t blame him. But when you have a position as powerful and influential as President of the United States, what you believe is not as important as what you do. If President Obama chooses not to make a firm statement acknowledging the sentiments of millions of Americans who wanted to see George Zimmerman convicted, he will have failed in his responsibility to both his country and his community. Barack Obama is not the president of black America, but black Americans do have the right to look to their president for leadership in times of crisis. White people do it all the d*amn time.
As I drove down the street thinking about all the Trayvon Martins in cities across America, I began to wonder: “If Trayvon Martin had been a gay kid shot for his s****l orientation, would the White House feel compelled to respond?”
I argue that the answer is a resounding “yes.” Black Americans are a constituency that politicians can go to for votes, but they don’t always expect to have to reciprocate. The gay community might give fewer votes than black Americans, but expect more of a return on their investment. Also, it has become politically fashionable to be a gay man, but it has never been fashionable, profitable, or safe to be a black man in America. We are treated like roaches and made the continuous target of systematic extermination. People (including black ones) have come to accept that saving the lives of black boys is not worthy of any form of political discomfort, especially the disruption of a presidency.
I hope that President Obama chooses to stand up for truth and justice by speaking to this case. He’s not running for re-election, so this is no time to be cowardly or weak. As a man raised in Hawaii by white grandparents, I doubt that the president can identify with what the Trayvon Martins of the world are forced to go through, but he isn’t expected to comment on this as a black man; he can also speak to this as a dignified and educated American who is fully aware of the handicap of racism on American society. In other words, even a white president would be expected to speak to the matter as well, so we’re not singling President Obama out just because he’s black.
It’s time to start telling the truth about race, and leadership must start from the top. No more excuses.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.