There is a growing phenomenon in America. A phenomenon that has grown exponentially over the past few years. I've written about it before and since then it's grown even greater. It's one that has me scratching my head in utter disbelief at times I will admit. What is this phenomenon I'm speaking of? The NEW racism. Apparently, we have reached a point in America where calling out racism is in fact racist. We've reached a point where pointing out injustice has become injustice. We've reached a point where people are outraged at the outrage. I often find myself confused and astonished by this? How the hell did this happen? When did calling out injustice become worse than the injustice we are calling out? When did it be become OK to be outraged at those who are outraged at bigotry? When did it become racist to oppose racism?
We've all heard it before. All of us. Whenever there is a manifestation of racial injustice in America(which unfortunately is all too often) there will always and inevitably be someone expressing their "concerns" and "frustrations" about those who stand against it. Always. You've heard them. You've seen them. You'll be talking about Eric Garner and out of nowhere they'll bring up Al Sharpton. You'll be talking about Rekia Boyd and out of nowhere they'll bring up Jesse Jackson. You'll be talking about racial injustice and out of nowhere they'll bring up Barack Obama. They will go out of their way to shift the conversation from injustice to something or someone completely irrelevant to the issue. They'll make false equivalencies. They'll ask idiotic questions like "Why aren't you concerned about black on black crime?" or "Why don't civil rights leaders speak out when someone white dies?". They'll blame protestors for fanning the flames of conflict. They will shift the onus and responsibility from those who commit injustice to those who are fighting and resisting it.
Let me be clear. If you are more concerned about say Al Sharpton than you are about police choking an unarmed man to death you are the part of the problem. If you are more concerned about say Jesse Jackson than a SWAT team throwing a flash bang into a home and maiming a child you are part of the problem. If you are more concerned about what Obama had to say about Trayvon Martin than the fact that Trayvon Martin is dead, well....I think you get it.
You see, we aren't fooled by you. You aren't really concerned about issues in the inner city. You aren't concerned about black on black crime, gangs, drug, teen pregnancy or any of those other things you try to distract people with when they are justifiably angry about social injustice. You don't give a shit. You don't. The only time you'll even mention it is when racism and social injustice rears it head and the only purpose of you doing it is to placate and misdirect.
The news media in particular has become quite adept at shifting blame. High profile personalities like Don Lemon for example have all but mastered the art of misdirection. Fox News, in addition to being a fountain of misinformation, has turned shifting blame into an art form. Even local and online publications and news outlets engaged in shameless victim blaming and shifting responsibility. A young man gets killed? Someone somewhere will attempt to shift the conversation to young black thuggery. A young woman gets raped? Someone somewhere will attempt to shift the conversation to teen pregnancy or black women out of wedlock or welfare recipients. It happens without fail.
As we move into 2015 society's approach to racism seems to be one of "deal with it". Racism is here to stay and it's not going away. Keep your head down, keep quiet about it and hope to the high heavens it doesn't affect you too much. Speak on it and YOU are a racist. Challenge it and YOU are a bigot. Resist it and YOU are the trouble maker. Challenging racism has become the new racism.
I suppose that would make me a racist. I suppose that makes me a hateful person. I suppose that makes me an angry black man. So be it.....
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