When welcoming the new millennium, I remember hearing: “That which has been invisible will become visible.”
I thought of this phrase as accusations of pedophilia in the Catholic Church were being revealed. I thought of it as sex trafficking in America and around the world was beginning to be addressed. And I think of it again as I watch young African-American men gunned down or killed when detained by police in our cities…North Charleston, Baltimore, New York, Ferguson and many others.
At age 20, I studied in England at a time when race riots overtook some American cities. I remember hearing criticisms of our racist society. But I noticed two things in England that year. I would often eat in inexpensive Indian restaurants I could afford because I could still eat delicious food. All of the Indian men I met had PhD educations, but could not find good jobs because of the color of their skin. One day, I struck up a conversation with a Jamaican woman who had tried to rent a room in an apartment building, but was turned away because of the color of her skin. I came home thinking: America is a racist society, but at least our racism is visible.
We cannot deal with what we do not see and acknowledge.
What can we do?
- We may pray for the souls of those killed, their families, their communities, and pray for the police officers and city leaders.
- We may examine our own fears and stereotypes to become conscious of them so we may release them. We may pray to see the light in every person and remember we are all divine children of God.
- We may participate in our communities, listening deeply for shared values, honoring everyone and supporting everyone’s journey.
The contemporary filming of recent incidents makes visible what African-American communities have experienced for years.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “A riot is the language of the unheard.”
May we change our culture. May we see each other as the human beings we are. May we respect and honor one another. May we be brothers and sisters.
Join Susan B. Magee on June 2 from 7 to 9pm for the Circle of Meditation and Healing at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC.
© Susan Beilby Magee, 2015. All Rights Reserved.
Racism, classism, unequal rights for all, the war on the poor, religious hypocrisy, etc., has eccelerated beyond What I could have ever imagined since Barack Obama became President. I agree that getting involved in community awareness is mandatory, but I absolutely feel that people, especially white people should speak out and acknowledge The wrongs of our society. Women need to identify just how unfair our treatment is and step Up for equal pay and the right to manage our health care and reproductive rights.
If not you, who? If not now, when?