All the talk the past several weeks on race issues in the U.S. is good. The rage, frustration, dialogue, confusion is good. “Huh?,”you might ask. Well when you look at us humans as a species, we are crisis driven.
We change when we are forced to. We often don’t plan for it or prepare. We get hit by events, then adapt and modify behavior. For the most part, that’s how progress occurs. It’s probably not the best way, but that seems to be our lot.
So, with an issue like race relations in the U.S. (specifically for the most part between individuals with darker skin from African origins and those who descended more from Northern European settlers), we seem particularly adept at sticking to tradition. We don’t change because we just go about our daily lives or we choose not to think about how we are acting, or that everything is okay, when it may not be for millions of people. We don’t necessarily think about how others live, and that applies in many situations.
Frustration grows. Anger erupts publicly. Many in the media show images of violence, destruction, protests, all of which increase revenue for TV ads, print magazines, newspapers and Internet news sources.
People speaking their minds and airing their grievances are a good thing. The fires of destruction are stoked though, when the repeated images projected to our handheld devices and television screens are ones of violence and mayhem. Seeing things smashed, shot up and burned scare people and leads many of us to spread our wings and scurry to the corners rather than join hands and seek smart and common solutions. We can’t have that.
The media provide a partial manifestation of reality for many, so their implication in the race dilemma is but one factor. But because media thrives on controversy, they seek those images and stories that cater to our base instincts. And when it comes to U.S. race relations, pitting black vs. white is an easy sell. The injustices have been long and many in our history despite much healing and reparations over the past 50-60 years or so. So it’s easy to find people willing to unleash fury even if that does not reflect the majority of a group. Run the camera. “Here’s Lester Holt reporting from Dallas.”
Because smart solutions are important, we should all take a step back and look at the U.S. Olympic Trials for Track and Field in Eugene, Oregon almost two weeks ago. Athletes of all colors competed. They did their best, pushed to beat their competitors.
Then, OMG, what did they do afterwards? They hugged each other after their efforts. Runners fell in exhaustion and tears after running events. White runners bent down to offer words of encouragement to black runners. Black runners helped white runners off the track with a hand, pulling them up and embracing. They strived individually, and then -- whether in victory or defeat -- they stood together with their fellow competitors.
For those of you who love and appreciate track and field, this is nothing new for you. But it is one more set of images we don’t often see. Here’s what I would love: Every single newspaper and news magazine in the U.S. would project pictures of those athletes joining together on their front pages. No captions allowed.
Just put it out there for people to see and consider. Think about our world and how much better we can make it. It is up to each of us to contribute, provide that lifting hand, the hug, the love, the embrace, the support. Coming together, we can do it.
We change when we are forced to. We often don’t plan for it or prepare. We get hit by events, then adapt and modify behavior. For the most part, that’s how progress occurs. It’s probably not the best way, but that seems to be our lot.
So, with an issue like race relations in the U.S. (specifically for the most part between individuals with darker skin from African origins and those who descended more from Northern European settlers), we seem particularly adept at sticking to tradition. We don’t change because we just go about our daily lives or we choose not to think about how we are acting, or that everything is okay, when it may not be for millions of people. We don’t necessarily think about how others live, and that applies in many situations.
Frustration grows. Anger erupts publicly. Many in the media show images of violence, destruction, protests, all of which increase revenue for TV ads, print magazines, newspapers and Internet news sources.
People speaking their minds and airing their grievances are a good thing. The fires of destruction are stoked though, when the repeated images projected to our handheld devices and television screens are ones of violence and mayhem. Seeing things smashed, shot up and burned scare people and leads many of us to spread our wings and scurry to the corners rather than join hands and seek smart and common solutions. We can’t have that.
The media provide a partial manifestation of reality for many, so their implication in the race dilemma is but one factor. But because media thrives on controversy, they seek those images and stories that cater to our base instincts. And when it comes to U.S. race relations, pitting black vs. white is an easy sell. The injustices have been long and many in our history despite much healing and reparations over the past 50-60 years or so. So it’s easy to find people willing to unleash fury even if that does not reflect the majority of a group. Run the camera. “Here’s Lester Holt reporting from Dallas.”
Because smart solutions are important, we should all take a step back and look at the U.S. Olympic Trials for Track and Field in Eugene, Oregon almost two weeks ago. Athletes of all colors competed. They did their best, pushed to beat their competitors.
Then, OMG, what did they do afterwards? They hugged each other after their efforts. Runners fell in exhaustion and tears after running events. White runners bent down to offer words of encouragement to black runners. Black runners helped white runners off the track with a hand, pulling them up and embracing. They strived individually, and then -- whether in victory or defeat -- they stood together with their fellow competitors.
For those of you who love and appreciate track and field, this is nothing new for you. But it is one more set of images we don’t often see. Here’s what I would love: Every single newspaper and news magazine in the U.S. would project pictures of those athletes joining together on their front pages. No captions allowed.
Just put it out there for people to see and consider. Think about our world and how much better we can make it. It is up to each of us to contribute, provide that lifting hand, the hug, the love, the embrace, the support. Coming together, we can do it.
