To everyone (especially my fellow white people),
The comorbidity of issues surrounding this weekend's events are difficult for anyone to synthesize in a way that seems to add up. When attempting to simultaneously contemplate the global pandemic, the murder of George Flyod, Black Live Matters protests, alongside the destruction of Bellevue Square mall, with the now daily questions of ‘will there be school in the fall or another sports season for our RA students?’, I attempted to come up with an analogy that might piece some of these issues together. What surfaced for me was the strikingly eerie comparison between how we as a society have managed the COVID-19 crisis and institutionalized racism.
Think about it like this. Any living human can easily contract the deadly coronavirus, never be physically or even noticeably impacted, and then go about their day spreading this virus to a loved one who ultimately becomes the one devastated by it. We then become sad, and even angry, by the pain experienced by our loved one without taking the time to realize that we were the ones who perpetuated their pain in the first place. Some claim that the virus isn’t real, while others work tirelessly on the frontlines saving the lives of those infected. Some look deep into the data and invest in a solution, whereas others have been able to adopt an out of sight out of mind mentality. Our society responds to systemic racism in similar manners.
Institutionalized, otherwise known as covert racism, has found a way of laying dormant within each of us, yes everyone. We robotically and unapologetically build it into the fabric of our society. Eventually it spreads untamed and increasingly lethal, adversely impacting our most vulnerable neighbors. Like the coronavirus, our society has adopted differing and sometimes conflicting ways of approaching the subject of systemic racism. The data obviously points to its existence. There is no known cure. And it’s killing our neighbors; especially our black neighbors.
So take or leave my analogy. Point is, we as a society need to work together. We need to listen to one another, truly listen. Because no matter who you are, this is about you. Your race, income, your ability or inability to adjust the noise level do not excuse you from this conversation.
As a white male, I continue to recognize countless arenas that society has granted me unearned power. I am still learning how to most effectively dampen my own presence in order to center voices of color. And after nearly 8 years engaging in this work, hours of racial equity training, and many hard and humbling conversations with my mentors who are far more advanced in this work than me, I am just beginning this journey. Everyday I learn that there is more that I still need to learn, and unlearn.
After seeing Nike’s new ad, For Once, Don’t Do It, I was encouraged to come up with my own public charge; Don’t Hide. Not hiding can be scary and confusing, especially if you are new to not hiding. Don’t Hide. This doesn’t require a reactionary reposting nor does it mean chanting affirmatively into your echo chamber. Not hiding can look different for you than for me. It means inviting a perspective other than your echo. It means hushing your own voice to make room for someone else's. If this voice represents a person of color, it means protecting that voice by lifting it up in the spaces you have been given power. Don’t hide the willpower needed to step out from under the spotlight. Don’t hide the unequivocal reality that all lives matter only once we do the work to ensure that Black Lives Matter.
I hope to continue this conversation with each of you. Call, email or text- whatever works to get in touch with me. No matter where you are on your journey, we should talk. This being said, be forewarned that together we will not find an answer to all of our questions, nor will we find a magical cure for the pain being felt across the country. The conversation in itself serves as momentum for the movement even though we as individuals may remain in the same place or perhaps even further behind from where we started. I invite you to join me as we walk, hand in hand, down our own paths of self-discovery. I see you. Talk soon.
In partnership,
Jesse
Email: Jesse@rainierathletes.org