Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Michelle Obama sharing a hug at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
This weekend, I had a Charles Dickens moment, feeling like “it is the best of times. It is the worst of times.” I was in awe and deeply touched by the dedication ceremonies for the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. At the same time, I continue to be disheartened, dismayed, disappointed, discouraged, and a bunch of other appropriate “dis” words… at the dire state of race relations in this country. It feels like we are regressing, in a spiraling downward trajectory.
Let’s first talk about the best of times. Every year, beginning in the 1980’s, Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) introduced a bill to erect a Smithsonian Museum that would acknowledge the contributions of African Americans. It was in 2003, under George W. Bush’s administration, that Lewis’s dream finally came into fruition. Believe it or not, talks of building such a museum date back to 1916, an entire century ago, when veterans of the Union army met at Washington DC’s 19th Street Baptist Church to contemplate such a possibility.
In his poignant and heartfelt remarks at the dedication last Saturday, Lewis said, “I feel like I have been waiting a long time for this, in some ways waiting my whole life.” Among the many speakers, including President Obama, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, and President George W. Bush, Bush said it best: “A great nation does not hide its history. It faces its flaws and corrects them. This museum tells the truth.” As the story goes, when questions around where the museum would be located were posed, it was Bush who said, it must be on the National Mall.
It was heartening to see bi-partisan support among politicians from both sides of the aisle in attendance. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said, “No one can fully understand America without a deep appreciation for the African-American experience. African-Americans have made so many contributions to our country, and I’m glad to see those contributions finally get their place in our nation’s capital. This is a good day for American scholarship and the American people.”
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture
There were so many other notable moments. While perhaps obligatory, ultra conservative Supreme Court Justice John Roberts spoke, in his role as Chancellor of the Smithsonian Museums. Michelle Obama hugged George W. Bush! We also learned that one of the key architects on the museum’s project team is an African American woman. (African American women only represent only .3% of all architects in the U.S.)
The opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is indeed an example of the “best of times.” Progress. Acknowledgement. Recognition. Unity. Inclusion. Truth.
The sad reality is that it is also “the worst of times.” At the very same joyous moment that this iconic museum was being dedicated, protesters in Charlotte were demanding to know how and why Keith Lamont Scott became another name on the long list of black men that have been killed at the hands of law enforcement. There are so many incidences of black men and women being killed by police these days that it is hard to keep up. Perhaps Oprah hit the nail on the head in her recent comments around today’s injustices: “it’s a new Emmett Till every week.” The Black Lives Matter movement was ignited to share outrage and explore solutions.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, unapologetically makes racist remarks that go unchecked. In the past, there were at least some consequences when national figures blurted out racist epithets. Yet and still, Trump supporters say they like him because he rejects political correctness. Is that what we want? To become more politically incorrect? It seems like there is an abundance of repressed racial intolerance that is now beginning to surface more and more. The worst of times.
Social media is rife with hateful, hurtful posts. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about some type of racial incident in our public schools and institutions of higher learning. We thought young people would naturally be more accepting of difference, but are learning otherwise. At the same time, Colin Kaepernick is getting death threats for exercising his right to protest an inequitable America.
In national polls, both blacks and whites agree that race relations are getting worse, and the country is more polarized than ever on issues of race.
As inclusion champions, we cannot sit back and watch this country retreat to its former, overtly racist behaviors and policies. The Winters Group is trying to do our part in reversing the tide with our virtual learning labs that focus on having effective dialogue around race. There is so much misinformation, fueled by social media and just lack of knowledge. It is not enough to be idle and on the sidelines.
Please join us in being vocal about the need for greater understanding across racial lines. A lot of people are hurting right now, and we all need to be a part of the healing process. We need to be at the table, finding and creating solutions to the inequities and atrocities that are pulling this country and our world apart. And, then hopefully, we can find our way into better times.
