“And then they came after me: Contextualizing Faith, The China Virus & black lives matter”

When the leader of the free world consistently uses the term “China Virus” yet says he won’t acknowledge that black lives matter because it's “racist” or refuses to condemn white supremacy, that is not only an inherent double standard, it is un-American and un-Christlike.

Why Words Matter

Being half Black (my father hails from the Island of Jamaica) and half Chinese (my grandparents are from Southern China in Guangdong province) my reality distilling race relations living in America is unique in traversing multiple cultures. Growing up in New York City, I struggled with my cultural identity. At school, kids would often make fun of me calling me names like “Rasta Chink,” or saying things like “hey, mon, want some pork fried rice,” in a pejorative Chinese and Jamaican accent. My best friend in 4th grade was a white slightly chubby kid who had just moved to Roosevelt Island from the suburbs of Virginia. Yet we bonded over video games, soccer, and church and there was a time when I actually wanted to be White as it wasn’t cool to be Asian or as I would call it “Jamasian” (Jamaican & Asian) or “Blasian” (Black & Asian). These and other experiences have had a fundamental impact on my identity, however when I reflect on the unprecedented race riots that ensued after the death of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and the innumerable others, coupled with the unprecedented targeting of Asians based on the usage of the term “China Virus,” I believe our nation is at a critical inflection point with respect to its own cultural and moral identity. Our collective identity as Americans to both combat Covid-19, juxtaposed with its impact on our society has been striking. The pandemic continues to have unprecedented health and socio-economic consequences, but for many, especially Black and Asian Americans, the impact extends far beyond medical and financial concerns. For example, Asian Americans have come under an onslaught of attacks during the pandemic. The reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate recorded 2,583 incidents of discrimination from March 19 to Aug. 5, 2020. And despite these and other well-documented incidents of racial discrimination, 164 members of Congress voted against a resolution to denounce hate incidents toward Asian Americans during the pandemic. Asians went from being a “model minority” to having their ethnicity depicted as a virus overnight. Oh, and for “Crazy Rich Asians,” just an F.Y.I., hate doesn’t discriminate based on how much wealth you have. The intentional usage of the “China Virus” by POTUS has reignited stereotypes about Asian Americans which we saw during the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Now, to some, this might not seem like a big deal, but it is the small sparks and ambers of division, that when left unchecked, lead to the raging forest fires of bigotry and hate revealed in the attacks against Muslim Americans after 9/11, Japanese internment camps during WW2, and hate crimes against Jews. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

Faith, Race & Values

As a Christian, my faith in Christ has played a fundamental role in defining who I am. In spite of this, I am deeply concerned when I don’t see more of my evangelical brothers and sisters within either party call out the President when he consistently uses the term “China Virus” at the Republican national convention, presidential debates, and regularly at rallies. The bottom line is this— whether Covid-19 came from China or not, using this term fuels racial division and discrimination. As President, as Church leaders, and as a nation we need to unequivocally declare that references like, “China Virus,” “Kung flu, or “Wuhan Virus,” have no place in our democracy— let alone the land of the free and the home of the brave. Would Jesus use the term “China Virus?” Genesis 9:6 states, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” To harm someone whether in word or in deed using derogatory terms is to cast judgment and oppression on God’s image. In James 1:27, we have the clearest mandate that religion and social justice go hand in hand. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” When the President says he has done more than any other president for the African American community, then why has Covid-19 disproportionately ravaged communities of color and especially Black and Hispanic livelihoods? More importantly, Mr. President, you need to acknowledge that black lives matter because they are created by God and belong to God. I also acknowledge that for many believers, social justice equates to advocating for the life of the unborn and being pro-life. However, to accept the foundational Christian value of life starting at conception, we must also inherently honor every birth, provide love, and instill a strong sense of self-worth and confidence through childhood. We are called to also advocate for physical and mental wellness, socio-economic advancement, and protection of inalienable rights even through death. As Pastor Léonce Crump Jr. put it, “If we’re pro-life, we’re pro-life, from the womb to the tomb.”

America’s Forgotten History

In many ways, America has forgotten that it was founded by a nation of immigrants. In a few weeks, we will celebrate Thanksgiving in the US, though many forget we celebrate this holiday to honor and commemorate the Native American Indians -who despite being of a different race and culture helped the Pilgrims during their greatest hour of need. This time served as one of the earliest and best examples of servant leadership and showing genuine empathy. However by not acknowledging black lives matter and or condemning white supremacy The President of the United States of America is sowing seeds of division in the very fabric of our society, but at its core, demonstrates that he lacks basic empathy. In the famous words of Abraham Lincoln, “A house divided cannot stand.” We are strongest together when we are united. In 1983, when Vincent Chin, a Chinese American was beaten to death with a baseball bat by Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz- two unemployed auto workers who blamed Japan for the declining American auto industry, thousands of African Americans walked in solidarity with other Chinese Americans to speak out against this hate crime. This year marked the 48th anniversary of the death of Chin who was enjoying his bachelor party the night of the beating and whose killers never spent a day in jail. Today, Vincent would have been 65 years old, George Floyd 46, and Breanna Taylor 26. This is why words matter, but especially from our elected leaders, and why we must hold them accountable and never forget our history.

History has its Eyes on You

I am more worried today about America than at another time in my life. For my kids, we owe our next generation a responsibility to leave the world a little better. Jacinda Ardern, who became the youngest female head of government in the world as Prime Minister of New Zealand, said, “Elections aren’t always great at bringing people together, but they also don’t need to tear one another apart.” The “China Virus” and black lives matter should not be partisan issues. Words matter and leadership matters. To "Make” or “Keep America Great Again," fails to underscore the truth that a diversity of cultural identities has, and always will define America.

About the Author:

Earl Carr is a Vice President of Global Research at Momentum Advisors an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm based in NYC. He is also an Adjunct Professor at NYU and a member of Trinity Baptist Church. Earl is also a Columnist at Forbes.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/earl-carr-665a713

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