Recently we had a racially motivated crime in Jacksonville, FL (8/26/2023).  A white 21-year-old decided that due to his hatred of African Americans (Blacks), he would attempt to gain access to Edward Waters University, the oldest Historical Black University in the State of Florida, and commit mass murder.  Praise God campus security was notified by a student of his presence on campus, and they immediately found him and approached him.  Upon being approached he got back into his car and went about 12 blocks away where he went into a Dollar General and shot and killed three African Americans who were minding their own business and going about their daily routines.^[1] 

Hate is real and so is the hateful rhetoric that politicians have been using to demonize certain groups in America.  African Americans are not new to hate, sadly, as this has been part of the history of our experience in America.  Empathy is the ability to place oneself in the shoes of another.  To see things from the vantage point of another.  Empathy is very different from sympathy.  Empathy is about trying to understand the experiences of others.  Sharing feelings, placing oneself in another’s mental shoes, and having an effective response are all attributes of empathy.

The Governor of Florida was booed by residents when he attended the vigil for Angela Carr, 52, Anolt Laguerre Jr., 19, and Jerrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29 on Sunday, August 27, 2023.  DeSantis has shown no empathy for the struggles that continue to subjugate African Americans.  He has defunded all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs at state universities, has banned any conversations surrounding race, racism, and bigotry from university classrooms, and is attempting to rewrite history by using a curriculum in the K-12 school system that indicates that Africans who were enslaved learned a skill for the future.  His lack of empathy and understanding has negatively impacted the state of Florida’s educational system and the racial climate.  Some would say he has blood on his hands because of his hateful rhetoric.

The racially motivated mass shooting took place on the 60^th anniversary of the March on Washington.  August 26^th, the following day, August 27th was the 63^rd anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday, which was an all-out assault on the Black community by White Supremacist.^[2]  The gunman, who shall not be named, left a manifesto in which he shared the hate he has for the African American community.  There was no empathy shown by him, but he did plot to kill as many African Americans as possible before taking his own life.

Empathy is something that is lacking in our society.  We are individualists and often self-absorbed. We need to be more empathic and try to imagine how it feels to be part of a marginalized group in America.  No one should walk around in fear due to the hate that has been spoken by politicians and people in positions of power.  How can we tell other countries we are an example to be followed when we lack empathy for each other?

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^[1] https://abcnews-go-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/jacksonville-florida-shooting/story?id=102588769

^[2] https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2020/06/20/what-happened-on-ax-handle-saturday-aug-27-1960-in-jacksonville/112301630/