Blinding Patriotism (or why I won’t stand up)

There’s seems to be something about professional football that gets people all riled up (something in the turf, maybe?) If you haven’t read about my first encounter with ignorance at an NFL game, read this first.  Or if you haven’t read my piece on the silent protests taking place at professional sports games, read this one, too.

Yet again, my significant other and I ran into some trouble when visiting Baltimore to watch the Steelers play their rival team. After a festive bout of tailgating, we arrived at our seats with a couple minutes till kickoff. The stadium was packed (with mostly Ravens fans) but we got settled pretty quickly by the time the national anthem started to play. In hypnotic fashion, (nearly) everyone in the stadium stood to hear the rendition belted out as we remained silently seated. To our right, a rather disgruntled woman leered in our direction. “Oh my god, are you kidding me?” was audible enough for us to hear, coupled with her look of absolute disgust at our silent act of protest.

Because I was fairly certain she wasn’t just mad about us supporting the opposing team, my partner and I talked to each other about her assumptions and reaction. She initiated a conversation with my partner: “My family is full of veterans who fought to protect this country.” Little did she know (at least at first) that we both are closely related to veterans who fought in combat for the U.S only to return to face either racial discrimination or neglect from the VA. But alas, she wasn’t here to listen. She was here to feel important.

As my partner continued to advocate on our behalf for our RIGHTS AS AMERICAN CITIZENS to express ourselves freely, our disgruntled patriot friend, with her husband’s hand blocking her face so he could watch the game, started to shout profanity at us. Visibly upset by our encounter, the woman left with her husband (whom I feel some sympathy for; he missed nearly the entire game). We didn’t see the woman for the rest of the game. It was too painful for her to sit next to disrespectful, unappreciative, “assholes” who clearly have no reverence for democracy.

But that’s the thing, isn’t it? People who serve in the military understand that their brave and selfless actions serve a larger purpose of freedom. You don’t become a soldier because you want people to think the same way you do; you serve in spite of those differences. You serve in the name of freedom and a democratic society where citizens have the right to express themselves, well freely.

So, angry Ravens fan, I appreciate the people who serve in the military and I value their efforts to protect my rights as a citizen. Thus, as a way to show that appreciation for what they do, I will continue to express my opinion in a way that may make you uncomfortable. My sitting for this anthem (created during a time when I would have been considered less than human) is not an attack on veterans or soldiers. It’s an attack on the institutionalized racism ingrained in our “free” society that shoots down black bodies and fuels the school to prison pipeline. The racism you might not notice as a white American thanks to your disillusioned perspective courtesy of Fox News.

I’m sorry, not sorry, that your world view can’t allow you to see the injustices marginalized people face on a daily basis (especially in a city like Baltimore.) But your insults and anger won’t deter me from continuing to exercise my rights.

 

 

(un)safe Spaces in Black Academia

In case you missed it in these past few weeks, attending a university is yet another thing people of color cannot do in the U.S. Between Mizzou and Harvard, the message of exclusion for people of color in higher academia has been made loud and clear.

COLUMBIA, MO – NOVEMBER 9: Jonathan Butler (c), a University of Missouri grad student who did a 7 day hunger strike listens during a forum speaking to students on the campus of University of Missouri – Columbia on November 9, 2015 in Columbia, Missouri. Students celebrate the resignation of University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe amid allegations of racism. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

In response to widespread racism and discrimination against black students on Mizzou’s campus, several students rallied together to demand focus on the reality of living as black students on predominately white institutions (PWIs). As several voices have pointed out, protests like these are nothing new; students of color (and their allies) across the country have demanded attention to bring change and awareness to their campus communities.

In this particular case though, the backlash from the protests at Mizzou have highlighted why black voices remain silenced in largely white spaces. Conservative pundits, color blind well-meaning white people, and even outwardly racist folks alike were quick to shame protesters for voicing their concerns, accusing protesters of ignoring other issues around the world.

Meanwhile, the blatant acts of racism on Harvard’s campus demonstrate the reality that blacks are especially excluded from ivy league institutions which have been built upon the notorious legacies that founded this country. The irrational fear, grounded solely in illusions of white privilege, has emboldened white students, born of this legacy of hatred, to commit hateful (yet cowardly) acts on college campuses.

The seemingly inherent fear of blacks somehow diluting the pure prestige of ivy league schools has trained many white college students to believe that racism and discrimination are normal aspects of college culture. An NPR story on the future of Mizzou after the protests featured an interview with a white student.

“I honestly want these protests to try and die down,” he says. “I want the message to continue, but I think it’s attracting a lot of unnecessary national attention from just everywhere. And it’s giving Mizzou a bad image in my opinion … I don’t think we deserve what’s going on right now. I just kind of want things to go back to normal, how they were. Nice and quiet.”

Many of the phrases used here are elements of coded language that get thrown around in an effort to lessen the sting of racism (and make white people more comfortable with expressing their ideas publicly.) The idea of a “normal” highlights the lack of awareness of students who don’t understand what it’s like to feel unsafe in most spaces. The privilege of power extends to these students when they can walk freely to class instead of avoiding potentially fatal threats on campus.

While the issues surrounding these recent incidents remain, it’s clear that the next generation of leaders refuse to allow racism to subtly coat the surface of academic spaces. The black lives matter movement has continued to gain momentum, despite it’s inner struggle in grappling with intersectionality. In order to see true change in public spaces, the uncomfortable conversations about race must continue.

Otherwise, things might just go back to how they were. Nice and quiet.