Seeing through a new lens: Racist or antiracist
After the last presidential election, I remember being stunned to see a pickup truck with an oversized Confederate flag flagrantly making repeated rounds down Danbury’s Main Street.
Afamily member brushed it off as a man showing pride of place. I had not considered that. So I did, but shared with him what I saw: to parade the symbol of the Old South in the downtown of one of the most diverse cities in a northern state is an intentional display of what type of country you want to live in — a country where for many a Confederate flag feels, in equal intensity, as hateful as a swastika.
I did not like my nephew’s perspective because of what it made me see. There are people in our city who regard me as more American because of the way I look. My parents are German immigrants so the roots of my American history are simple. In contrast, I considered a dear friend whose father’s family came to Danbury at the beginning of the last century during the Great Migration. Their family goes back to a time in American history when Black people were not free. Yet, that flag bearer likely sees me as more “American.”
Since then I have been in conversations with Black and Brown friends about racism and I remember the internal spark of outrage, two short years ago, when I first heard the term “White Privilege” directed at me.
This summer, I joined in a Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut initiative called “Walk in Their Shoes” where participants jumped into a guided book discussion of “How to be An Antiracist,” by Ibram X. Kendi. Over six weeks, we learned declaring oneself “not racist” is rooted in racism. We learned that the opposite of racist is not “not racist” but “antiracist.” Discussing racism in America while white is not easy. I do not know one white person who did not bristle and react defensively upon hearing the term “White Privilege.” The truth is, I have been given a step up because of the color of skin I am cloaked in. I compared my initial feeling of outrage to the centuries of prejudice and brutality that Blacks have endured. I still feel uncomfortable being referred to by the color of my skin, but this is a recent phenomenon. How is that not a privilege? How is that not racist?
Race does not biologically exist. No one is born a racist or an antiracist. Being antiracist is a conscious choice requiring self-awareness. It is not about who you are, but about what you do. Participating in the forum has opened my eyes to how — intended or not — racist policies show up in Danbury. This is just in the last 90 days:
Richter Park Golf Course, not the Town Park, reopened for recreational use. The city has invested $300,000 to keep it solvent. Which residents would be best served by a $300,000 investment in the Town Park? ▶When organizers of a police rally were made aware that the template they used came from a documented hate group, there was no effort to admit to, apologize for, or denounce its racist origin.
During community discussions about education, the word “reentry” continued to be used in the plan rather than “reopening.” The word “reentry” is tied to incarceration, a racist system.
City leaders have a plan to pay homage to Marian Anderson without involving the Black community in that tribute.
At September’s City Council meeting, a long-serving councilman asked about enforcement methods because he observed players at the new basketball courts not wearing masks. The city courts (finally refurbished through private fundraising) are in an area red lined for housing Black Danburians during 1940s and 1950s — and, arguably, still is.
An event last week for Breonna Taylor resulted in a police turnout that outnumbered participants for most of the somber gathering. Who wrote the security detail to include an overarching police presence? Nothing about the organizers or past events would suggest that such a show of force was necessary.
As a nation, we are examining and questioning the racist foundations on which our country is built. It’s time to call upon city leaders — especially white ones — to do the same when making decisions that impact our Black and Brown communities. We are in the midst of an historical movement. As an antiracist, I know where I stand. Time to ask your elected officials where they do.