An Open Letter to Madame VP Kamala Harris and Senator Tim Scott:
Hey Guys. I hope all is well and you are staying safe during the covid pandemic.
I recently watched your comments on race in America. I am concerned, frustrated, and disappointed by your assessment of our country. I am not sure if the comments made were to be politically correct and not offend white people. But in your heart of hearts and your lived experiences in America, say something completely different. While some Americans are not racist and do not practice white supremacy, many of our fellow Americans do. Our country was founded on racist values and practices. Our government allowed and profited over slavery. Black people were brought, sold, and forced to work for free. The remnants of one of America’s original sins are still visible. Your comments have done a disservice to the struggle and experiences of Black people. Black folks too want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement (during our lifetimes), and the Black Lives Matter Movement are indicators that Black people are oppressed and not treated fairly in our country. Race still matters in every aspect of American life. The United States is a different country based on the color of your skin.
Senator Scott, you referenced in your speech that you have “experienced the pain of discrimination,” including your encounters with law enforcement as a Black man. You have had to show identification multiple times to enter your workplace at the United States Capitol. How are those experiences not racist? You are working on police reform. You are hearing horror stories about how law enforcement treats Black people. How are their actions not racist?
Black and white life are not equal in America. “Racism is so embedded in America. That to challenge racism is to challenge America itself,” said Dr. Eric Michael Dyson. The numbers do not lie! In every aspect of American life, Black people are suffering.
- Black women are more likely to receive late, or no, prenatal care, and they also face nearly three times the risk of pregnancy-related deaths.
- Redlining policies have prevented many Black people from homeownership. Black people have a lower homeownership rate than white people.
- The Black unemployment rate is doubled the rate for whites
- The median wealth gap for Black households is $24,100 compared to $189,100 for white families.
- Black people represent 33% of the adult prison population while accounting for 12% of the overall population.
America has a race issue. Just say it! Black folks know it. White folks know it too. To deny it is a LIE! A big fat smelly LIE! America has a systemic racism issue. Systemic racism is systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage African Americans. Author James Baldwin said, “What we are dealing with really is that for Black people in this country, there is no legal code at all. We’re still governed, if that is the word I want, by the slave code.”
Just my thoughts…rwb
To the litigious: The First Amendment protects several basic freedoms in the United States including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. It was part of the Bill of Rights that was added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. The views expressed in OhioMBE and the media outlets of The 912 Group are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views/opinions of The 912 Group, the editor, publisher , our staff or our advertisers.
