We are one nation, and county, under God
The formation of the Sonora City Council's Social Equity Committee appears to have raised a few concerns in some of our local residents. As a member of that newly formed committee, I would like to share some thoughts and, hopefully, allay some of those concerns. I would also like to make it clear that, for the purposes of this op-ed, I am speaking strictly for myself as an individual citizen.
My late husband and I moved to Tuolumne County almost 30 years ago. I am a 76-year-old black woman and my husband of nearly 40 years was white. I offer that information in an attempt to substantiate what I hope is a balanced viewpoint that I will endeavor to bring to the council's committee.
It is no secret that Tuolumne County is not a racially diverse community, nor should it be judged because of that. Like every other community, its demography is a result of its history which, in our case, is rooted in the California Gold Rush. Although that event attracted representatives of every race and nationality, towns rapidly went boom and bust and, particularly in the foothills, few of any size survived. Most minorities migrated to larger cities, leaving only the descendants of bedrock pioneers who were, with few exceptions, mostly white. It has never been a requisite part of Tuolumne County life to deal with minority issues, and any information on the subject that filtered into the community was generally incomplete or from second-hand sources. That is not meant as a condemnation, it is simply a fact.
Sonora and the surrounding area does not have a black community as such, making any potential levels of prejudice or discrimination challenging to gauge with any accuracy. As a black resident myself, I have certainly been made aware of my race on more than one occasion, but to be abundantly clear, making that statement is not the same thing as labeling the entire county a “racist community.”
It is my personal and deeply entrenched belief that the word “racist” has been overused to the point where it has lost its intrinsic value as a communicative tool. Although this is no doubt fodder for debate, I believe it is actually possible to exhibit racist tendencies without being in league with the devil. In today's world, any individual whose life experiences have rendered them ignorant of a different culture is prone to making cultural gaffes, not necessarily out of hate, but as the result of a simple lack of information. By the strictest of definitions, such gaffes certainly could be termed “racist,” however, under those circumstances, the weight of the word should not be automatically equated with the image of the hate-filled individual willing to inflict bodily harm to ensure the separation of cultures. Unfortunately, the word has been weaponized to the point where the latter interpretation has become the default definition, rendering it no longer effective as an instrument of communication. In either discussion or debate the choice, use and perceived definition of words make all the difference between the success and failure of a two-way connection. I hope the formation of the Social Equity Committee will help clarify some of these kinds of communication issues.
As American citizens, we place our hands on our hearts and pledge to be “one nation, under God.” As members of that national family in a time of deep distress and disconnect, I believe it is the intent of the Sonora City Council to set a leadership example for the community and its children and remind us that the words in our Pledge of Allegiance have actual meaning. I applied to sit on the Social Equity Committee because I have lived in this community long enough to know that there are many people here who, although we may not agree in our politics, are decent, reasonable, civil-minded individuals. I know that these same people are willing to exercise our freedom of democracy in an effort to return to civil discourse within a debate. If you have read this deeply into this oped, I would like to think that you are one of those individuals who continue to have faith in the betterment of our national community. I look forward to hearing your voice in this discussion.
Jamestown resident Sylvia Alden Roberts is originally from San Antonio. She has lived in Tuolumne County since 1992 and is active with the Tuolumne County Historical Society and Museum, the Tuolumne County Genealogical Society and the Motherlode Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. Author of “Mining for Freedom: Black History Meets the California Gold Rush.”