My heart fell in despair when I heard the news. Two African American legislators were expelled from the Tennessee State Capitol. They wanted to pass sensible legislation to ban assault weapons in their state. Thankfully, these two individuals were reinstated to their State House seats.

This expulsion was not the result of misbehavior. It was a live-streamed political lynching. Temporarily, their constituents didn’t have any fair representation. The will of the people became compromised. Powerful white individuals distorted the law to their advantage. Welcome to racism in the 21st. Century.

I need to have an honest conversation with my fellow Caucasians. Certain experiences may have harmed you as a person. The frustration mounts because you may find yourself in situations where you are unable to provide for yourself or your family. We need to understand something important. Us vs them mentality flourishes as a result and eventually becomes out of control.

You’re not only playing the victim card, but it’s also dangerous behavior. White privilege is an invalid excuse. Life isn’t always fair. Personal growth occurs upon discovering this crucial lesson. The suffering of other human beings shall become apparent once you travel beyond your limited sphere. You’ll be inspired to reach out and begin effecting positive change for the right reasons.

One of my occupations involved supervising the health and well-being of people with intellectual developmental disabilities. A responsibility of mine was scheduling staff with clients who required service hours. When the owner of this nonprofit agency found out I was scheduling Muslim staff with my clients, he became enraged. He warned me that our clients’ families might be offended if they notice their “Billy or Suzy” with a Muslim in their traditional attire.

I informed him these are my employees, and they have prior experience working with the special needs community. He was also made aware of how several of my employees were in tears as a result of discriminatory behavior from clients and client family members alike.

His reply was, “You’re too nice to these people. I don’t want to hear it.”

My organization talked a nice game about inclusivity, but we never followed through. Needless to say, I’m no longer employed with that nonprofit agency. Some people in power behave poorly. They lack both leadership skills and empathy.

This is not a reason for the rest of us to lower the bar in our treatment of one another. We need to serve more and apologize less. America is experiencing more systemic racism than ever before. That’s the sad and present reality.

In the Bible, John 3:16-17 teaches us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the World to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

While I’m not sure if monetary reparation or a specific sum of money can heal racial relationships, Jesus did take responsibility for something he didn’t commit. He paid the ultimate price by dying for all of humanity’s sins on earth.

Here are some questions about racial equity I’ve been struggling with throughout my life. Why does our culture accept that several people of color live in public housing? How come I rarely shared college courses with students who looked different from me? Should these individuals be provided with the same employment opportunities as white people after graduating from high school or college?

A wise person would recognize that there is unequal access to those resources necessary for daily existence. White folks, stop acting like entitled victims. It’s time to extend our hand in true friendship and offer relentless support. Ignorance must be eradicated by learning about other races and ethnicities. We must take action after obtaining a fundamental comprehension. 

Here are some more ideas for how to continue supporting the black community. These resources are also relevant to any disenfranchised community. One of them includes continuing your anti-racism education. Education and awareness cannot be overstated. 

Humanity is counting on us to accept responsibility and accountability for the mistreatment of marginalized people.  It is critical that we concentrate on our personal development daily and begin treating everyone with respect. 

Although I feel racial relationships are slowly improving, more work must be done. There are many evil forces working to return our country to a bygone era. A time in which white people are the masters while non-white people would have limited economic mobility.

Our voices will not be silent. Racial equity shall be promoted at every opportunity. Speaking to individuals of marginalized communities of color, I realize you may not want an apology from another white person.  It’s probably redundant at this point.  An apology will not end America’s horrible epidemic of systemic racism.  Nonetheless, I will do everything in my power to help you.

By Matthew Philistine