Modesty Forbids

Over the years I have enjoyed more than one Bob Dyer column, while also cringing every time he writes about race. As I write this today, I am laughing inside because I am pretty sure fewer than ten people might read my blog and hundreds of thousands read Bob’s column.

On those occasions, when Bob writes about race, he seems to return to the same three messages. First, he reminds us that he was part of the ABJ team that won a Pulitzer Prize for their reporting about race. Second, he argues that the racism is a problem today primarily because people refuse to stop mentioning racism. And third, he frames this larger point in storyline designed to suggest that he has no dog in this fight, he is just an average person making an ordinary observation, he is not the Jedi you are looking for.

When a group in any community is overwhelmingly suffering from multi-generational concentrated disadvantage, it is very difficult for me to accept an elite from outside this group blaming individuals in that group for pointing out the (many) ways the system is rigged against them.

Below is Bob Dyer’s column from today, pasted in full. He is, again, highlighting that he won a Pulitzer (message one above), and his central point that there is an industry out there of self-serving actors making a living by enflaming race-hatred—and they are the driving force behind our racism problem (message two above).

After doing that, he steps back and says, of course locals trying to address real problems are not doing this (message three above). He is a good writer, who has made me laugh many times, and likely a fine person, but I disagree with him here. As for his argument about the value of soothers? Modesty forbids.

One final observation, so our disagreement might be as clear as possible. I agree that there are unsavory actors on both sides (all sides) who exploit this (or any) conflict, particularly conflicts where there is a lot at stake and unequal distribution of hurt.

For instance, are there actors on both sides of the Trump nightmare who could care less about Trump winning or losing, but are using this conflict to advance their own interests? Sure. Does observing this absolve us of the obligation to figure out how to evaluate Trump ourselves, so we can contribute to our conversations about how to respond to his presidency? It does not.

Even as we hear many resist Trump in ways we do not support (with violence or with stupid self-serving arguments, for instance), we still have to figure this out for ourselves. We cannot simply observe (accurately) that some are exploiting the situation and conclude, therefore, that there is no fire behind all that smoke.

As a white man, is it hard to be reminded of the privilege that comes with white skin? Yes. Particularly when my everyday experience is one where I feel like sometimes I am just barely able to navigate my everyday challenges. Do I sometimes bristle at the passionate way some point out my privilege and the luxury that comes with that privilege (including the luxury to not notice it and seek refuge in ‘I don’t see race’)? Yes. Particularly as a first-generation college student whose immigrant elders worked hard to give me a good starting point in life.

Yet, I recognize that growing up black in America is many times more difficult than growing up white, with all the usual obstacles we all face plus all the unavoidable and painful explicit and implicit bias associated dark skin. And this recognition does not mean my elders did not work hard. It only means the when elders of my black peers worked as hard or harder without receiving rewards even in the same ballpark in terms of family wealth, political power, and equal protection of the law…their hard work did not result in creating a similarly good starting point for their children.

In the context of the current NFL conflict, former NFL defensive end, Howie Long, had this to say… 

“As a white father having raised three boys, there were a million things to worry about on a daily basis. But it’s impossible for me to understand the challenges that an African-American father faces at every turn while raising his children. But in a league that is comprised of 70% African-American players, if you’re a white player in an NFL locker room, that puts you in a position to try to better understand those struggles, and, subsequently as we have seen, show your support for your teammates in your own way. Understanding starts with a dialogue, and the most important part of dialogue is to listen.”

Maybe there is a way for Bob and I to come to an agreement here. Is it possible to see ‘Racism, Inc.,’ as an industry within which there are white and black firms operating? Can we agree on that? If so, can we agree that the firms in that industry from our society’s most powerful group are the low hanging fruit we should try to call out, because constraining them does not ask them to simply accept their power-poor status as second-class citizens? They have options other than race-baiting—they are already in the dominant group.

Anyway, here is Bob’s column. You make the call.

Bob Dyer: Racism, Inc.

October 1, 2017 in Akron Beacon Journal

Like most of us, Akron resident Mary Deal, a self-proclaimed cynic (you will see why very soon), has been thinking a lot about race relations lately. How could we not, given the events — both national and local — of the past few weeks?

Deal has concluded that racism is “America’s brand new growth industry.”

Clearly referring to the ugly public confrontations between blacks and whites on Akron City Council, and the closed-door attempt at reconciliation that followed, she sent the following email:

Bob: After racism has been stoked by those who claim they’re not “racist,” a professional class of “moderators” offer their services to “bring together” all the discordant parties.

The “brought togethers” sit around a table where each speaks moderately to the others. They share their stories. They emote. They are confined until all reach an accord reminiscent of “the era of good feeling.” Group dynamics prevail. All leave as “a team.”

There’s only one problem with this halcyon result: We’ve been doing this since the late ’60’s or early ’70’s — “encounter groups,” anyone? — with the same dismal outcome.

The professional “soothers,” distantly related to soothsayers, do their exhortations, incantations, etc., but the “problem” never seems to go away. Too many people profit from the disorder.

Consider how the Akron Community Foundation has caught the fever. In cahoots with the library system, both are sponsoring an event called, “On the Table. Greater Akron. Your Voice Matters,” on Oct. 3. By attending, adults grant permission to be videotaped and photographed, doubtlessly by the ACF for future video distribution.

Didn’t the BJ “solve” the problem of racism years ago when it received a Pulitzer [in 1994]?

Just like the weather, “racism” has become something everybody talks about but can’t do a thing about. Except to make a profit and promote themselves.

I told her I thought she was an even bigger cynic than her favorite columnist, and asked for permission to quote her.

Sure. But also look up and quote Booker T. Washington on the race hustlers of his day.

Everything old is new again. And there’s always the quote attributed to Einstein about doing things the same way while expecting different results. …

Last November we had a provincial from Queens against a Methodist Sunday-schooler from Park Ridge, Ill. Oy vey! What a mess! The fewer “encounter groups” we encounter the better off we may be, eventually.

Born a cynic and sarcastic. It’s in the genes.

Dostoevsky on sarcasm: “Sarcasm is the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

The legendary Booker T. Washington, an author whom today we would label “African-American,” did indeed rail against race hustlers — more than a century ago.

“There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public,” he wrote in 1911.

“Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

To me, that sounds a lot more like the Al Sharptons of the world than the local folks who are genuinely trying to close the enormous racial gap.

More than 5,000 people have signed up for that “On the Table” event, which indicates plenty of folks remain hopeful.

Are we going to fix the race problem by endlessly talking about it? Not likely. As Ms. Deal notes, we’ve been trying that for half a century.

On the other hand … what’s the alternative?