Ward Connerly, as most readers will know, is the architect of California’s Proposition 209, through which the citizens of that state amended their state constitution to prohibit differential treatment based on race by all state agencies. Subsequently Michigan and several other states adopted similar proposals. Thus I was flattered when he asked if he could post a statement on race here, and I am more than happy to oblige. It follows.
SHOULD RACE MATTER IN AMERICA?
On July 7, a black man brutally and cowardly ambushed and murdered five white Dallas, Texas, police officers, and wounded more than half a dozen other officers and civilians. During the exchange with the police prior to his death, the murderer expressed his desire to kill police officers, and white police officers in particular. Almost instantaneously, a national discussion ensued in America centered on the issue of race. As someone who has been in the briar patch of race, in one form or another, for all of my 77 years on this planet, I feel compelled to offer my observations.
It must be said that there is no such thing as the “black community” any more than there is a white community. Therefore, my views represent those of no one but myself.
Although there was a time when black people were united by the common bond of oppression, that time passed long ago. Now, black people are as individualistic as whites. They are defined by their income, professional relationships, and other characteristics. In short, black people are defined by their individual life experiences, not by their status as the oppressed. The politicians and others who seek to define black people by the interactions that some have with the police or as a perpetually oppressed people do a great disservice to America and especially to the black Americans to whom they pander.
When I was born, the letter “c” was inscribed on my birth certificate. This letter was used to denote the racial classification of “colored.” The primary basis of that classification was what was known as the “one-drop rule.” This designation meant that you were colored regardless of the composition of your heritage. In my case, Irish, Choctaw Indian, and French were more dominant, but in the racial classification system of that era, all that mattered was that my paternal grandfather was of African descent. Thus, I was a colored boy, a “Negro.”
Being born as a Negro in Jim Crow Louisiana, in 1939, meant that the pattern of my life was designed for me at birth. Where I lived, the schools I could attend, where I could shop, the drinking fountains or restrooms that I could use, lunch counters that were off limits to me, with whom I could play, who I could date or marry – all were determined by that letter “c.” Despite generations of interracial births, the one-drop rule lives on.
To the extent that we can, Americans need to bring coherence to how we address the matter of race. We should begin by confronting the inhumane classification system and abandon the one-drop rule. First, “multiracial” identity should be officially recognized by the U.S. Census. Second, as a society, we should be aware that the term “African-American” is not only imprecise; it is opposed by many black people. If the overriding objective of America is to have all individuals assimilate and embrace their identity as Americans, we should recognize that more needs to be done to achieve that objective; and subdividing Americans by a hyphen according to the presumed country of birth of our ancestors betrays that objective. Contrary to what some say, most black people are not “Africans living in America.” Rather, as Harris Faulkner has said, we are “Americans who happen to be black.”
While these observations may seem, to some, to be peripheral to healing America’s “race problem,” it must be said that race is very nuanced, and will require many and varied responses directed to specific segments of those constituent parts of the black population.
There is a segment of black America that has some particularly unique problems which cry out for attention: unemployed, uneducated, lower-income blacks who reside in economically distressed neighborhoods. These are the individuals who frequently feel alienated from society, who harbor a profound sense of racial paranoia, and who are most likely to view police officers as enemy combatants. This attitude and this perspective is the fuel that drives the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
There is no single explanation for what happened in Dallas, nor is there a single prescription for “healing” the illness of race in America. One thing is certain, however: our unequivocal support for law and order must be clearly stated. There is a general pattern, particularly among political figures, to express equal support for the police and for protestors. There should be no moral equivocation about the relationship between law enforcement and protestors. In a civil society, respect for the law is not negotiable, and weasel wording with respect to this matter is unacceptable.
Given the circumstances of our history, it is understandable that many of those who are unemployed and uneducated – or even just have a certain skin color – would view their lives through the lens of victimhood; and victimhood can trigger a degree of paranoia. Those who feed on or legitimize this paranoia by equivocating on the issue of law enforcement do a great disservice to America and to the presumed victims.
The reality is that police departments are not perfect; they can make mistakes, and they may hire someone who does not perform his or her duties in the most admirable manner possible. Nonetheless, our duty as citizens is to respect the law and to obey those who have the responsibility to enforce it. The place for challenging specific police behavior is NOT at the moment of an incident. Nearly every police department has a process for reviewing complaints about police misconduct. This is the point at which grievances should be heard.
America has a preoccupation with race that is drowning us. It is critical that we address this problem on a sustained basis.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to discuss the matter rationally when there is no national consensus regarding our objectives.
In the 1960s, following one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, in which race was central to the conflict of that era, the leading voices of that period supported policies that favored colorblind government and opposed racial discrimination. President John F. Kennedy set the tone, in June 1963, when he said “race has no place in American life or law.” That same year, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his memorable “I have a dream” speech, in which he proclaimed his commitment to a society where skin color would not be the factor by which his four little children would be judged.
By the turn of the century, the aspiration for a colorblind society and zero tolerance for racial discrimination had radically changed to a national commitment to “diversity” and discrimination being sanctioned to achieve that diversity.
In short, America made a dangerous turn when it embraced the conscious pursuit of diversity. Coupled with the use of “affirmative action,” the pursuit of diversity is dividing American society in profound ways. Unfortunately, most institutions – public as well as private – embrace the mindless blather about diversity.
At some point, Americans must engage in a lot of clear-thinking about the consequences, intended and otherwise, of pursuing diversity. It is largely the pursuit of “diversity” that drives the unwillingness to oppose illegal immigration; and, it is this same mission to achieve diversity that has played such a dramatic role in the loss of jobs and diminished economic opportunities for unskilled blacks in so many economic sectors of our society. Yet, the voices of those who have been elected to represent those who reside in neighborhoods populated by the black “lower-class” are conspicuously silent. Why?
These are critical times for our nation, with the economy, ISIS, and race being the trifecta of issues that concern us. The solution to the problem of race is not a 1960s-style government program. Rather it is a conscious effort to end racial thinking. We should embrace the view that the only significant difference between a black person and a white person is the color of their skin.
It is important to note that circumstances have changed profoundly with regard to race in America since that “c” was noted on my birth certificate in 1939. Clearly, extraordinary progress has been made. But, the journey to one nation with indivisible parts cannot be realized by celebrating our diversity. That path will lead to a continually divided America where the goal of a united people remains a hazy mirage on the distant horizon.
In the final analysis, the solution for improving the lives of black people, and thereby solving America’s race problem, rests largely in the hands of black people. To accomplish this objective, the black underclass must embrace and implement an attitude that places priority on education. It is critical that the level of educational achievement among the black underclass be increased. This means, at a minimum, enrolling in and graduating from high school. Upon graduation from high school, the pursuit of a trade or a higher education degree at a community college, as a minimum, should be the aspiration of every young black person. By being better prepared educationally, young blacks can make themselves ready to enter the American mainstream.
Similar to any other demographic group, it is the responsibility of members of the “black underclass” to prepare themselves for participating in the American economy. However, it is the responsibility of government to enact policies that facilitate the effective functioning of our economy or, at least, do not impede the economy from performing to the benefit of its citizens. If it does nothing else, the government should at least prevent foreign workers from illegally entering America and competing for relatively scarce jobs with the black underclass.
Whenever there is racial unrest in America, the predictable response is to throw the need for targeted assistance to benefit black people into the mix. Not only is that approach condescending, but it is counterproductive. Such an approach serves to perpetuate the belief that black people are incapable of competing in the American economy, and/or that they are perpetually oppressed by a racist society. The days of special programs for specific demographic groups should be over; and this specifically includes race-based affirmative action.
True freedom means equal treatment in all respects.
