But, as Isabel Wilkerson makes clear in her book, Castes, race is more than just skin color. It is needed to designate people who are necessary to fulfill a certain role in society. That role is to be considered a slightly lesser kind of person. That gives White people permission to exploit people of color. There are still difficult, unpleasant, smelly, tedious work to be done in our society. Cleaning jobs are assigned to Black people. Picking fruit goes to brown people. That is what they are good at, and not much else. It’s been true since slavery.
If you are a Black man, and being treated like that upsets you after years of feeling demeaned, that might make you angry. Then, obviously, you become dangerous and someone to be feared. Luckily, many policemen are aware of that, and they will protect society from this anger.
BUT, technology may be changing that. Robots are taking many of those unpleasant jobs. They can do those jobs for hours on end, and they don’t even expect any benefits.
Also, technology has created phones that take videos of police shooting unarmed Black men. Many White people find that very disturbing. Not all White people are as bad as you think.
And now, technology has made it easier to Black people to unite, communicate, find a voice and organize for political power. Earlier attempts at gaining real equality were met with firehoses, dogs, clubs and guns. While that is still true, the videos and mass demonstrations are pushing back on those old methods of control and intimidation. Some politicians are realizing that the Black vote needs more than just recognition, they are now expecting change.
And, the best thing is that more politicians are Black. That is also becoming true of teachers, doctors, architects and other professionals. I hope it becomes even more true of police officers, and of police captains and chiefs.
Black people no longer need accept the roles and categories that White people want to put them in. In that way, no one ever has to “pass” for anything. People can just “be.”
Demand equality, Demand justice. Demand equality in jobs, in neighborhoods, in education, in safety. Monitor companies hiring and promoting practices. Send the results to the local newspapers. Take videos of those Proud Boys and those bully cops. Send them to CNN.
We are having a moment of awareness. Don’t let it pass.
