I Still Have Hope

I have not done this before, but want to post something that is much more personal (and a bit longer) given the events of the last several weeks and the time I have reflected on them.

There have been a lot of posts recently about the events surrounding the ruthless, senseless murder of George Floyd in front of many witnesses on May 25th and millions around the world in the days and weeks since then. 

This has been going on for several generations - what is different now?  

What appears to be different now is that this topic has now received attention from a much larger audience beyond the community that has historically been the target of these vicious attacks.

Why now?  

We had the opportunity to visit Mt. St. Helen last summer on a family trip. I have to think that what we are experiencing is, in some way, the result of over 400 years of inhumanity starting with the slave trade. Like a volcano that erupts in the midst of the continuing pressure within it, the human rights volcano has finally erupted after all of these years. 

Because of the length of time this has been going on, and the otherwise nonchalant reaction and response to the inhumane treatment of an entire group of people simply because of the color of their skin, we have seen this fully ingrained in the fabric of many countries (this is not just an issue in America) and many aspects of life (not just policing).  

Yet while this is nothing new, I still have hope.

I have obviously seen and dealt with this my whole life. Personally, I have been the recipient of “interesting” behaviors on the part of police, store employees, and classmates. I share, not out of bitterness or anger, but to highlight the fact that this can happen to anyone.

• I was pulled over by an officer who made a u-turn on a small, two-lane road to pull me over for a minor violation (an inspection sticker that expired the day before), but felt the need to approach our minivan with me, my wife, and three young kids (one in a car seat at the time) with her hand on her gun as if she needed to pull it out for a minor traffic stop of a person 1 mile from my home (which she would have seen by running my license plate). 
• I have been followed around stores in the mall by employees or store security to be sure I wasn’t stealing anything. 
• At high school, I was asked “why don’t you go back where you came from?” (as if I did not belong here - and as if I had some other country to go home to!). 
• In business school, the comment “I know why you are here” was made in my first days on campus (insinuating that I was there because of my race). They didn’t know my story and the facts of my case - but just made an assumption based on skin color. I graduated from a great high school, graduated Summa Cum Laude from college, had more professional work experience than most did given the extent of my internships in college. I worked at a consulting firm (as ? of the incoming business school class did at the time). My employer paid for my MBA based on my performance on the job. All of these factors might otherwise point to the fact that I just might have deserved to be there based on merit and hard work, not based on my skin color.  

Racism and racial inequality is not just about the police - in fact, it has spread through a number of different facets of our everyday life (voting, education, housing, healthcare, media & entertainment, etc.). To learn more about the wide-ranging impact and implications of racial inequality in America, please read a Harvard case written by Janice Hammond, A. Kamau Massey, and Mayra Garza titled "African-American Inequality in the United States."

Racism is a heart issue and does not discriminate - when it shows up, it does not care that you are a well-educated, professional Black person. Yes, my experiences have been different - I have definitely seen and experienced this in a much different way than George Floyd - but nonetheless, I, along with countless others, have experienced it. It just manifests itself in different ways based on the environments we may find ourselves in.

Beyond my personal experience, the “big case” or example I remember while I was in college, was Rodney King. While he was not killed as a result of police brutality, seeing the image of an unarmed, badly beaten King, and the video of the incident, left a permanent mark in my mind around “what could happen” during what should be a “routine” traffic stop. Imagine that... Can you understand how others may feel in that situation? That is a feeling that few truly understand, but it does not mean it is not a real or valid feeling (I can point to many people who feel the same way).

Similar to George Floyd, during the Rodney King incident, there was an outcry, there were protests, and there were even riots, but very little (if anything) changed (that was in 1991). Here we are nearly 30 years later, and we have seen more and more instances of this happening (thanks to technology which also happened to capture the Rodney King incident). So, unfortunately for many, this is nothing new - it is just a function of technology and social media quickly disseminating information at a “speed to market” and level of raw transparency that we have not experienced before (and the really sad thing is that in the case of George Floyd, the fact that it was on camera did NOT stop the behavior which is telling in and of itself - according to Mapping Police Violence, 99% of police killings result in no charges - so there is little to no accountability). 

This is not a statement about the police and how bad they are - it is a statement about accountability. My uncle was a police officer, a friend was a former officer, my father was in the army, my grandfather was in the army and I have a number of friends who have parents, relatives, friends who are in the police force. So a statement about accountability or reform is by no means a reflection or sentiment that police as a whole are ALL bad. We cannot let a few bad apples spoil the bunch. So while this is not about an attack on the police, it is about behavior change and dealing with a heart issue. And this behavior change is not just about the police, but behavior change of all humans as we see injustice in many aspects of life.

Now imagine talking to your young child or children about this. I want my kids to live in a world that will at least treat them as an equal - with equal respect, with equal opportunity, with equal rights. After all, that’s what our own Declaration of Independence says, right? It says that “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights ,that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

While “all men are created equal” exists in principle and is on permanent display in our nation’s capital, we know, experience, and see that is not always the case in practice.

So in an effort to start that journey of knowing my kids are in a world that will treat them as an equal, I write this post with some observations, encouragement, and a call to action - a call to long-term, sustained action (not just a feeling now until the next headlines, and not just a good corporate marketing slogan or corporate diversity tagline to appease consumers of color and protect corporate brands in this moment).

Observations

I hope that every person around the world has reflected on what has happened here in the US to Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Chris Cooper, and the countless others. Reflect in your own way - in a way that you are most comfortable. That may be talking to a friend, searching the internet, digging into history, understanding other (similar) cases, deepening your knowledge and understanding of race in America. Whatever form of reflection that may be, I hope we all have taken a few moments during this pandemic period to learn, to understand, and to reflect.  

I have not seen this many voices collectively talking about the outrage of the situation - a blatant disregard for humanity (regardless of color). For me, this is a welcomed (and, frankly, long overdue) sentiment of change given all of the cases that have preceded this one, including our own PwC professional, Botham Jean, an innocent, young Black man who was killed in his own apartment by a police officer (again, not the only case of this happening either - it just happened to a 26 year-old EMT, Breonna Taylor, two weeks before George Floyd’s death).

In the past, perhaps we’ve tried to rationalize, justify, explain, dismiss, ignore, or somehow push the many instances aside for a variety of reasons. We’ve tried to move on. But now, it feels different. Now, perhaps because of the shock and awe of what everyone saw and the fact that there are no other distractions given COVID-19, it is harder to simply move on. Perhaps we are finally seeing this for what it is - a heart issue.

Looking back at history, it is very difficult to sugarcoat what has happened to Black people in America, and I don’t want to dwell on the past; however, the past does provide some context for where we are, what impediments there have been, where we need to go, and perhaps, even a glimpse into how we get there. 

That said, we should also recognize where we are today. We are in a different time now. We are at a different place than we were in:

1. 1619 (when the first slave ships landed in America), 
2. 1775 (during and after revolutionary war, and arguably the beginning of systemic or institutional racism where slaves were considered only ? of a person in the Three-Fifths Compromise)
3. 1865 (post civil war, segregation, and Jim Crow laws)

1. the 1960s (where the civil rights movement in America was at its peak), 
2. 1984 (where we first imagined the possibility of a Black President), 
3. 1991 (when we witnessed the Rodney King incident),
4. 2008 (where we witnessed the election of America’s first Black President - what may have been prematurely presumed as racial progress)

Each time period comes with its own set of advancements as well as its own set of challenges.  

Each period comes with its torch-bearers who must act.

Encouragement

Despite seeing this movie of racism and injustice play itself out over and over again, I have hope that things will change.  

Now, more than ever before, we are seeing a vehement voice speaking out against racism in all walks of life.

Now, more than ever before, we are seeing a cross-cultural chorus for justice.

Now, more than ever before, we are seeing a sentiment of solidarity around what is right.

Now, more than ever before, we are seeing a call for justice and a litany of love from those who know that is the only true solution.

World leaders, community organizers, police chiefs, business leaders, corporations, academia, politicians (from all parties), Church leaders, sports figures, actors and actresses, models, and activists - you name it - all have spoken up about the atrocities of racism and the indignity of injustice. 

What we have seen is a clear recognition of the need for humanity. The need to eliminate grave injustice and abuse of power that permeates through many of our ways of life. The need for a change of heart.

While I have seen this movie way too many times now, there are a few things that give me hope that we will overcome this:

1. The power of faith
2. The power of prayer
3. The power of unity
4. The power of people
5. The power of love

I am hopeful that we will finally see the change that many Black Americans and Black people who have come to America from other countries have been battling for over 400 years.

I have seen a voice of unity that we have rarely seen. I have seen the power of people protesting (peacefully) across America and around the world. I have seen people talk about the power of love.

Love never fails

Our Call to Action

Hope is not a strategy and change does not happen without action.

So there is a question we must ask ourselves as we think about our collective call to action - and that is whether or not we believe in the words of America’s forefathers that “all men (and women) are created equal” and what that really means to us. Another saying that seems quite relevant is “am i my brother’s keeper.” Both have context and connotations that may resonate - but the most common element and important question is do we believe in humanity and treating people with love?

I believe there are 5 things that we can do to create change in this environment today:

1. Understand and recognize history of the problem

• Seek to know all of the intricacies of racism and injustice (there is no shortage of data / facts), 
• Admit if you have a problem with the problem, or admit if you recognize you are a part of the problem, and 
• Talk to someone who can help you

2. Fully understand the breadth and magnitude of the problem

• Recognize that there is a large volume of ice under the iceberg - there are some things on the surface, but there is a large and extensive root system that has developed over the centuries - so before attempting to fix the problem, understand where and how many others may be a part of the problem and recognize how many overt or covert ways this shows up.  
• Understand that people may retreat in silence though they still hold the same “unproductive beliefs” that they did before all of this - that may certainly exist and is very difficult to see

3. Don’t admire the problem

• Assess #1 and #2 (they are important), but don’t dwell or get lost in it
• Acknowledge it is there (many know it is there and acknowledge that it has existed for awhile)
• Avoid spending too much time trying to recognize the problem or admiring the problem
• Quickly move on and figure out how to speak up and fix the problem

4. Speak up to raise awareness of the problem

• Don’t let things slide
• Speak up and tackle racism whenever and wherever you see it in all walks of life - in your family, in your neighborhood, in your supermarket, at your workplace, at the nail salon, at the gym, at the mall, at the game, at your kids sports practice - wherever it is (because it can show up anywhere)

5. Fix the problem

• Be the change we all want to see - our kids are watching
• Be an example by speaking up and tackling it head on so our kids have a good example of how they ought to handle it when it nonchalantly comes up in conversations they have with their friends.  
• Participate (actively) in tangible and measurable plans to address this at a detailed level within your workplace
• Support non-profits who address equality and anti-racism agendas like the Equal Justice Initiative, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• Support minority owned businesses in your local market

As you contemplate your personal contribution to fix the problem, recognize that there are more specific and tangible steps you can take in your own organization and in your own sphere of influence (but the specifics will vary based on the environment you are in).  

These five steps are an easy way to think about and remember broader actions you can take; however, remember, to achieve the sustainability needed, this is a multi-generational, and multi-layered issue that is much more complicated and involved.

I recognize that the timeframe for an individual’s call to action may vary...and I understand that it may take a moment to get there...but we must get there and we must stay there - we must stay in that moment of wanting change and we must not give up until that change has occurred in every aspect of our lives. It is too important to let this just be another phase.

Yes, the timeframe for results may not be immediate - like attempting to grow avocados from a seed. It will be a multi-decade and multi-generational process, much like the civil rights period after the abolition of slavery. But we must make progress. Who better to start it than us. As people from both political parties have said: 

“If not us, who? If not now, when?”

For me, the call to action does not start with understanding, as it may for others less familiar with the details, cases, and stories of racism. For me, that is something I am more sensitized to given my racial background - so my life is essentially my “understanding.” While others have sought to understand or have processed what happened, I am at the point where it is time to act.  

Many of our brothers and sisters may need more time to “understand” and that's okay. Everyone should certainly seek to listen and understand first, and then act. The timing and sequencing is important because any action must be done in the context of as much understanding as possible.  

There are a number of different thoughts around what the right actions are, and many may seem, feel, or read like lip service; however, we must crawl before we walk, and walk before we run, so while seemingly insignificant, any action is a step in the right direction (so long as the steps continue and don’t stop with a simple corporate statement of support or marketing slogan or advertisement).

Perhaps, more to come on this later as we are personally evaluating structural options to “do more” and do something that is sustainable to contribute to and maintain a solution for the benefit of our kids - all of our kids - and make a difference for our world.

In the meantime, as we all continue to reflect on everything going on around us, please don’t forget about this moment in history and please choose action - continuous, sustained action, long after the headlines have moved on from this moment we are in now to the next media cycle or topic. 

Please choose activity, not passivity... 

Please choose speech, not silence...

Please choose right over wrong…

...every time you have an opportunity to...

United we stand

Since the voices of Blacks in the past haven’t been enough, perhaps in unity by all human beings, and with the faith of a few human beings, hope for all human beings, and love to all human beings, we can create the change in the world we so desperately need because I truly believe love never fails.

On behalf of my family, thank you for not letting things slide anymore - thank you for not being silent anymore.