Who ARE we?

Well, here we are. It would be easy to feel sad, defeated and without hope today. So take a day to feel those emotions. Then tomorrow get back to work for there is much to be done. As Kamala Harris just said, it needs to get awfully dark before you can see the stars. The stars are shining pretty brightly today.

A few days ago I heard from a man I met quite a few years ago through this work while I was with High Country News Magazine working on this story about housing in Portland OR. He’s stayed abreast of and supported my work for a lot of years. His note to me said this in support of the work that you and I do, “I am pretty sure we are both strongly against the negative effects of racist people and policies. Efforts, such as yours, to have “civil conversations” about resolving these problems are greatly needed.”

Then we veered of into politics. “Biden is a lot closer to George Wallace than Trump — and I see Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy, and Musk as positive people with a positive view of America’s future, and in a position to do something about it. Why do you see them as racists?” Then he pulled the lever for Trump. I guess he wasn’t as strongly against the negative effects of racist people and policies as he claimed.

So there it is in a nutshell. “Sure, America’s Thing With Race is important, but let’s get real…it’s not all THAT important when it comes right down to it. My candidate of choice is a racist, sure. But America’s thing with race? … not really all that important considering all our other pressing issues.” Trump ran a campaign (three campaigns actually) based largely on race. He hasn’t been able to go more than a day or two without expressing his racial animosity. In the mix, in addition to race, his campaign ran on hate, fear, and resentment. And it worked. He won.

But America’s Thing With Race IS that important. Almost all the things about America that we dislike these days is built on it. Does anyone really wonder who’s the better human, the better neighbor or friend? Donald Trump or Joseph Biden? Donald Trump or Barack Obama. Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?

Today, many folks are asking, “Who ARE we?” I think all of us wonder from time to time…wonder who AM I? I think it’s a challenge, maybe an impossible one,  to analyze yourself honestly. So I think the best measure is to look at who are you attracting into your life and who you are attracted to? From there, you know who you are. You’re a reflection of who you are attracted to. I tried hard to instill that in my son when he was coming up. He turned out pretty OK. The Trump campaign wasn’t entirely about race, but a huge part of it sure was.

Yesterday a majority of Americans showed the world who we are as we stood by a racist. Will we be better off four years from now? Will the country be better off? Will America still be a beacon of hope? As Abraham Lincoln so plaintively stated, “My dream is of a place and time when America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.” Me to, Mr. President. Me too.

So tomorrow I’m going to roll out of bed and redouble my efforts. Neither quitting nor giving way to pessimism. I invite you to do the same. In fact, I invite you to re-double your efforts. If you’ve been merely reading, learning, and singing with your choir, but not actually working - consider finding a way to get involved that suits your needs and brings you fulfillment. A few weeks ago I wrote about doing the hard work of ending racism.

I am so tired of waiting, aren’t you,

For the world to become good

And beautiful and kind?

Let us take a knife

And cut the world in two

And see what worms are eating,

Eating at the rind.

Langston Hughes was one of the all-time great and insightful Black American poets and chronicler of the Black experience.