Explore with Issac J. Bailey
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” In his latest book “Why Didn’tWe Riot?: A Black Man in Trumpland” (Other Press, $21.99), journalist Issac J. Bailey thoughtfully explores race relations in theUnited States. Based out ofMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, Bailey said his family’s annual travel plans include visiting South Carolina’s state parks.
“There arewaterfalls and spooky, abandoned train lines and incredible nature hikes, aswell as resort-like cabins, if you prefer those over the more modest accommodations most of those parks offer,” he said. “One of the top destinationswasHunting Island. That’s more of a day trip as part of a larger vacation plan if you are out of state. There (are) unspoiledwooded areas, a lighthouse and white sandy beaches all in one place. Some scenes from ‘Forrest Gump’were shot there.”
Q: Somepeople perceive the South as being racist. Based on your experiences and research, howwould you address that perception?
A: The South definitely has its problems with race. There’s just no getting around it. Most people knowabout our struggles to try to even furl the Confederate flag fromstatehouses and the like. I’m not sure they knowabout how that flag prominently flies in communities throughout our area, including in one ofmy former neighborhoods, and even at the entrances of beachwear stores. Not only that, we’ve taken the “GoneWith the Wind” vibe to a new height, coming up with fake plantation names for upper-scale housing developments, because so many have been convinced that having “plantation” in a name makes it more elegant. And, of course, we have all the other problems on a structural level that plague many other regions. The odd thing is thatwe have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. If you go to historical plantations —the real ones where the enslaved once toiled— you’d often be greeted by rows and rows of live oaks draped with Spanish moss seemingly standing guard in front of large, beautiful, white-columned homes. If you visited, that kind of history, the mix of beauty and legacy is hard to miss.
Q: Howhave your travels shaped your views on institutional racism?
A: Institutional racism is so hard to see, because those not directly affected by it have no reason to believe it’s true, no reason to really look, unless they were just genuinely interested in equality. For a long time, I thought the institutional racism I experienced here in the Southwas unique. (The) reporting I did in parts ofMyrtle
Beach made it clear tome that some of the mostpoverty stricken areas were essentially inmy backyard and theywere just blocks from where upwards of 18 million tourists a year come to play on our beaches and attractions.
Q: Where have you visited where you felt the mostwelcomed and safe?
A: My experience in Ghanawas like nothing else. Even amid some devastating pockets of destitution, the smiles and greetings residents there had for visitors like me made it feel as though I had returned home. Ironically, the place Iwas told Iwas supposed to feel the least safe and welcomewas Chicago. But my new wife and Iwere able towalk around very late at night there while trying to find a cab to get us to a little bed and breakfast with no trouble. I’ve never been in places where itwas clear I could be in danger, likely because when you growup Black in the Deep South, you are taught from an early age that there are places you should avoid. Maybe it’s time I stop avoiding some of those places and do a little more traveling?