What Color Are We In The Dark?

The history of racial strife in America and recent events in places like New York and Ferguson, Missouri have led persons of color and moral persons of every shade to ask the question ..."When will the plague called white racism be eradicated from our life as a nation?"  When will America act definitively to rid institutions such as our police forces of the stain of racist behavior, which in some cases has resulted in the murder of black folk, and gross violations of our human rights? For those who ask these questions what is at stake is the very viability of our Society as a cohesive social and political entity. We are wondering when will our claim to "civility" and "exceptionality" be matched by the social, economic, and political virtues that give REAL meaning to these words in the arena of race relations.

For the last four centuries we have been struggling with this SCOURGE... this DIS-EASE... this rotten DYSFUNCTION called white racism. To be clear, RACISM has always been a disingenuous way to rationalize the moral imbalance of a society built on Injustice, and very specifically, the Injustice inherent in the  exploitation of Native peoples and Africans by European colonizers. The idea of "white supremacy" was NEVER anything other than a LIE  intended to explain why it was OK for Caucasians to plunder their way to the economic advantage that bought them political hegemony in a world that defined Power in the crudest, and most inhumane terms.

I would highlight the fact that Africans were building Empires when many Europeans were still struggling with the rudimentary aspects of civilized living. I would point out that the impact of the version of White  "civilization " that we saw from the Spanish and other colonizers brought nothing more than death and destruction to the Native peoples of the "New World". Our World would be better off without this kind of "civility". The Arawaks would still be around today if not for Christian conquerors and their "gifts" of swords and syphillis. A culture that engages the most profound expressions of ignorance to justify and perpetuate itself is destined for the garbage heap of History.

Our world continues to embrace CHANGE. Change is a fact of our lives which is more durable than the despicable aspirations of those who bet their futures on the oppression of others. It is this CHANGE that has given the USA it's first Black President. It is this CHANGE that forced Donald Sterling to part ways with his prized NBA team. It is this CHANGE that is causing a Firestorm in places like Ferguson, Missouri... A firestorm threatening to burn down every existing assumption about white supremacy.  It is this CHANGE that now forces RACIST POLICE OFFICERS to resign from their positions when their misdeeds become public. It is this CHANGE that is forcing political correctness upon the unwilling tongues, and down the throats of otherwise racist public personalities, including candidates for political office.

Consider the following for a moment. How does one account for the contradictions in the fact that the same white man who teaches his white child to hate "blacks"  based on his assertion that Black people are "animals" and should be treated as such... this same white man has had no problem forcing himself upon a black woman. He has no problem impregnating a black woman. He has no problem "falling in love" with black women despite his contradicting lie. This same white man finds himself in a situation where he must now hide his black children from the "light" of his self-contradicting lie. He is forced to cover himself  with the cloak of his own inhumanity, and suffer the afflictions of the daggers of the cruel existence that he has perpetuated. Such a man is haunted by the many questions that arise from the exile of his own making. Not the least of these questions is... What color are we in the dark? 

Nighttime may provide some cover for our behavioral indiscretions, but there is no place to hide from our ignominy... Our shame. After much heart-rending reflection we may appropriately wonder ... Does it really matter what color we are? In the face of Racism we must all agree that Color is of no consequence when we are forced to face down the perils present in the dark night of Ignorance.