George Floyd and a Tipping Point

George Floyd's death at the hands of law enforcement is not more important than any other person who has died unnecessarily at the hands of law enforcement but neither is his death less important or less tragic as any person who has needlessly died at the hands of law enforcement. However, George Floyd's death could be what Malcolm Gladwell called a “tipping point.” Gladwell puts it this way, “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”

That is what we need at this point to move racial equality forward in America. We need a “wildfire” movement that spans the nation and brings together everyone who has an investment in making this country what its founding documents said it was but has not been nor is not now. Rioting will not work, the destruction of property and the loss of life will not work. All of those will be used to discredit the movement. The deep seated racist hatred in this country will try to push back. Already feeling ignored and disenfranchised in a modern America, they will react with vengeance. Of that I have no doubt.

The inspiring work of Martin Luther King Jr is exactly the paradigm for what must happen with a couple of differences. “Black Lives Matter” leadership and demonstrators need to be joined by white people of faith and courage. If the privileged of this country, and this economy cannot see the inequities which settle heavily on people of color, the poor, the illegal immigrants, this tipping point will be for naught.

We also need to focus that “wildfire” to identify clearly who the enemy is and who the enemy is not. I would suggest routinely, law enforcement is not the enemy. As I have mentioned previously, law enforcement has had both an ignoble history of cooperation with the structures of racism. Today's law enforcement must understand that history as well as deal with the challenge of a more dangerous street. The Congressional failure and neglect on stemming the flood of weapons of war pouring into our cities has multiplied the grief and loss of life both of people of all colors and law enforcement dying in the line of duty.

The enemies of racial equality in my mind are first those institutions whose deep histories have perpetuated racial inequality. State governments, political parties, local and county governments, and the United States Congress, the Executive Branch, and Judicial Branch have failed to move equality forward from the beginning of this nation. Legislation that guarantees equality, immigrant rights, illegal immigrants safety and judicial rights are wanting. More than that, courts at the local level fail to require able defenses for people of color and the poor. State and federal courts which rule unfairly and exclusively. Criminal Justice is often another pillar of discrimination. Prison populations should more closely mirror population demographics than are currently seen. When that changes, voices should be raised and solutions found. In fact, ongoing studies of who ends up in prison can guide us to better ways to educate, better ways to deal with juvenile offenders, better ways to treat the mentally ill, and better ways to have accessible health care. The current banking system is really closed to many lower income and people of color. In America, the poor are limited to “payday” loan companies, and pawn shops. I remember a rather wealthy man in the church I served who was retired but kept an office downtown. One of my visits with him was interrupted by a Black city employee who came to make a payment on his car. The payment was made, the receipt was given and then he left. The businessman looked at me and said, “You are probably curious about what just happened?” He went on, “I have know this man since he was a child. He has worked for the city for years, I loaned him the money to buy a car because none of our banks would. He has never missed a payment.” This is what I am talking about.

Most of all, with this long list(but not complete—which should bother us) of structural racism, what is most needed is a tsunami of white people of faith and white people who are moved by the years of struggle of our neighbors and coworkers who daily arise to be faced with diminished value, opportunity, and resources.

Whites can lend support, leverage, but must humbly go to the back and let our people of color lead. There are two reasons why. First they have the most experience in racism and standing up to it. Second, they have so much to teach us about the struggle to be free. Flooding the streets with support but humbly getting at the back of the “bus” will move us further down the road in our own atonement for our participation perpetuating inequality.

This could be our “magic moment”

Wash you hands, mind the gap, and be kind.