&omarelrefaey
Students of Color at Columbia Law School have been granted a
postponement of their final exams after writing the administration and
asking for "an emergency event" to be held yesterday, Dec. 8, to discuss
the mental trauma they were experiencing over the Michael Brown and
Eric Garner case. (Michael Brown was shot by a police officer in
Missouri in August and Eric Garner was choked by a police officer in New
York last year. Both men died as a result of the encounters.) This is
my response:
Dear students of color at Columbia or any other law or any other school, No. Scratch that.
Dear people of color, students or otherwise,
I was in New York City when the Ferguson decision was announced. I
was a little more than slightly frightened at the idea of being in the
same city as the protests that ensued, especially as I watched fire
truck after fire truck after fire truck leave the station to prevent
riots as I walked back to my hotel room from seeing Phantom of the
Opera. I was more than on my guard as I walked back to my hotel room
with my 18 year old "little sister." (&jbrowergal
) How was I going to respond if the need arose to protect my little
sister because someone decided we deserved to be attacked because of
"white privilege?" And, once I had responded, was I going to get a fair
trial if I had people of color on my jury? Or would I be assumed guilty
because I'm white? Sounds ridiculous? It is. Now switch the colors and
see the similarities in the victimized role you're trying to portray.
A few days later I obeyed the orders of more black cops than white
cops as I tried to find a spot where I could see my little sister
perform in the Macy's day parade and they were trying to keep order. Did
I do it because they were black? NO! I did it because they had an NYPD
badge. That's how it should be. Black, White, Zebra, or Purple doesn't
matter in that situation. The badge and trying to protect our freedoms
and maintain citizen's safety does. It's unfortunate, and each case
should be carefully regulated to keep the police honest, but sometimes
the safety of the masses costs the life of the one.
I know there are people of color who suffer. I rode the subways. I
walked the streets. I saw the homeless and my heart ached at my
inability to help them. I can't imagine being in that situation and I
will never pretend I can. But, there are also white people who suffer.
Can you and I stop fighting and join our efforts to help those who are
suffering instead of trying to annihilate the other? I think we'd be
more productive.
Actually, I have an idea. Let's stop scaring each other. Let's stop
traumatizing each other. Let's stop being victims. Let's work together
for solutions. Let's join hands and find peace and healing. Let's start
wording our letters to our schools, our words to the media, and our
thoughts and sentiments from person to person and not from black person
to white person. Let's ask for the "emergency meetings," but let's call
them meetings or better yet discussions and invite administrators and
students, instead of white administrators and colored students.
We were given differences so we could each contribute different
perspectives and work together to find truth and peace, not so we could
exploit those differences. Unfortunately, humans are imperfect and
exploitations happen sometimes. But, let's not pretend it will happen
every time or the exception has become the rule. And, let's not give up
on there being some good white people left in the world. To do so is to
give up on humanity in general, as white people and black people are
both people.
I know you are suffering. I know some of you are honestly scared. I
know I will never understand exactly what you are going through. I pray
you find peace and healing. On the other hand, I also know there are
white people who are scared and you will never understand what they are
going through. However, taking my hand and calmly and respectfully
explaining how you are feeling and then listening to how I am feeling
will let us work together to find solutions and move forward, together.
Yin and Yang are different, but there is no such thing as pure yin or
pure yang, each is affected by the other. You are affected by my
existence, and I am affected by yours. We can continue to try to destroy
each other and destroy ourselves in the process, or we can seek to live
in balance and harmony. The choice, I'm afraid, is currently yours.
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