From May 2020 through the rest of that summer, my phone rang constantly. White friends, church members, and colleagues were all calling to ask the exact same question: Is it really that bad? They were asking about racism in the United States, the plight of Black Americans, and our mistreatment by law enforcement. Specifically, they were calling after watching the widely circulated footage of a police officer murdering George Floyd. A reality that had persisted in various forms for decades was suddenly brought to light and made undeniable. For many people in the racial majority, it was a harsh wake-up call to the pervasive nature of racism and inequity. So, of course, my answer was frustrated and emphatic: “YES. It’s always been here; you’ve just had the luxury of ignoring it.”
Six years later, there is substantive reason to believe that both racism and the willful ignorance surrounding it are on the rise. My heart is heavy as I follow the case of Nolan Xavier Wells, a boy who went missing while with a group of white friends and was later found dead with no viable explanation; and seemingly no urgency from Mississippi law enforcement. I also continue to lament the death of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old killed by police in the aftermath of a suspected shoplifting incident. Somehow, the Mississippi Attorney General’s office cleared the officer of any wrongdoing, labeling the fatal shooting “justified.”
This tragic lack of accountability echoes a dark legacy. As the Equal Justice Initiative notes, Ross Barnett, a prominent segregationist and Mississippi governor from 1959 to 1964, campaigned as a defender of white supremacy, once declaring: “The Negro is different because God made him different to punish him.” Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Yet, even as these grim realities persist today, certain politicians, influencers, and pundits still endeavor to deny the hatred, injustice, and inequity that remain rooted in our nation’s foundation.
If you are still asking the question, the answer is YES. In fact, the impacts of racism are far more dire than you have likely ever realized.
To our leaders: because our words hold immense power, you must continue to speak the truth. Speak up for all those who have lost their lives and been mistreated because of the sin of racism. Continue to call out media lies for what they are. And educate those who should have had more awareness by now, but are finally willing to listen.
The Cut Culture newsletter empowers cultural leaders to stay sharp and keep growing. Learn more about Herman Armstrong and the Kathairo Leadership Collective here.
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