Consider this simple declarative sentence: Institutional racism, now into its fifth century of existence in the United States, continues to inform policy, practice, decision-making, and patterns of response in virtually all aspects of our life.
Willful ignorance of this reality, along with the tendency to locate the totality of racism in the actions taken by a misguided few, makes it impossible for us to alter the status quo in any meaningful way. This explains why it is possible to state with certainty that the same deeply embedded roots of institutional racism that led to the chaos in Little Rock in 1957 will continue to bear its fruit 60 years later and into the coming years. The historical record offers no alternative conclusion; even a cursory scan of the annals informs us that business as usual is the order of the day.
For those who have been captivated by the promises of the "progress narrative," I can only offer that saying it is so does not make it so. Whatever linguistic fiction you may employ does not translate into objective fact. This holds true as well for those who suggest that we need time for change to occur. And I would point out to this crowd that time alone is neutral; meaningful actions taken in time could and might be effective, but the lack of meaningful action in time amounts to time wasted.
In his novel The Fixer Bernard Malamud writes: "In a sick country, any step toward health is an insult to those who live on its sickness." Far too many of us thrive in this current milieu. There is little incentive to fix the problem when the problem is seen as a flock of geese, all laying those very desirable golden eggs.
Racism, greed, selfishness, belief in mythology, willful ignorance, and the inertia of habitual repetition combine to keep this society locked in a downward spiral. I believe this is what has led to the current national political debacle we are forced to endure daily.
This is not our only problem, nor is it our biggest problem, but one symptom of a much larger malady. The roots are diseased. If there is to be any hope for a future of equality, justice, and opportunity for all, we have to excise those deeply embedded roots. No amount of civil rights laws, statue removal, law enforcement body cams, diversity training, affirmative action, school desegregation, or impeachment of an impaired leader will accomplish what actually needs to be done.
Unless and until we come to a realization of the true state of affairs, all is in vain. As long as some of us cling to the notion that all we need is a bit of tweaking, nothing of substance can or will occur. We need the combined energy of all of us to face the harsh truth and to declare ourselves ready to turn this ship around. We need the liberals among us to move beyond the safe havens of liberalism into the realm of radical confrontation; a declaration that we care enough to confront the foundational racism that undergirds this society.
Yes, it has been 60 years, perhaps better stated as one year repeated 60 times. Some may argue that this is hyperbole, and I will concede that point if only to ensure your continued attention as I explain my rationale. First, significant change has led to a society where not all of us are as vulnerable as we once were. Yet, as the old adage reminds us, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If we measure our so-called progress by the barometer that gauges life chances and future possibilities for the least among us, the picture shifts radically. A review of the social and economic statistics for a majority of the 99 percent of us tells a story at odds with the progress narrative.
Along with the remaining seven of our group of nine in Little Rock, I will participate in the latest of the ongoing rituals designed to highlight the year we spent at Central High School as one of the key elements in the modern civil rights struggle. While I am not unalterably opposed to such ventures, I find it curious that the closure of all high schools in Little Rock in the following year, 1958-59, rarely gets mentioned. That was but one of many tactics used by true believers in white supremacy to protect a status quo held in high esteem. We are forced to ask the question: What was really accomplished in Little Rock in 1957?
My answer in part is that the force and power of institutional racism was manifested in the person and actions of the governor of the state and his supporters which gave hope to others around the country who found any attempt to desegregate public schools to be an insult. A review of the statistics surrounding school desegregation in 2017 gives credence to the notion that the hope gained in 1957 has grown exponentially.
While some may decry this state of affairs and suggest this represents a departure from the norm, I would respectfully disagree; what we see is the norm. We the people are not in favor of integration. I would further suggest that if we were so inclined, integration would long ago have been accomplished. No, something else is at work here, and that something else is rarely admitted outside the confines of very private conversations (see Lee Atwater's comments at www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/).
Sixty years later might just as well be 400 years later for all the difference it makes. The story is the same; only the characters and dialogue have shifted. During the decades of the 1960s and '70s, I kept a cartoon from a newspaper editorial page on my office bulletin board. Depicted on the one panel was a jury in a Mississippi courtroom with the caption: "And yer honor, here come the punchline, NOT GUILTY!" The white male defendant was on trial for an assault against a black man, and a jury of his peers found him to be not guilty. This was but one of many compass points for me as I worked hard to learn how to navigate a society that told me in no uncertain terms that my black life did not matter.
Today, 60 years after Little Rock, my goal is make sure, in spite of the ubiquity of institutional racism, that my black life does matter!
Terrence J. Roberts, Ph.D, management consultant and psychology professor, is one of the Little Rock Nine.
Editorial on 09/24/2017