Black, Brown, and Beyond...
Last night, the Wichita NAACP and Sunflower Community Action hosted a forum to discuss commonalities between racial and cultural lines. The purpose of the event was to gain a better understanding and sense of community particularly between black and brown communities. There are many issues that face both communities for example, gang violence, discrimination and unsafe neighborhoods just to name a few. The goal was show that if we have a better understanding of one another then we can start to break down the barriers that keep us from moving forward together to address these issues.
I spoke to the mostly Latino and African American audience about how race and racism are used as mechanisms of control. I talked about how we are all manipulated by a system designed to ensure that the wealthy and powerful are able to safeguard their wealth and influence. While laws are being rewritten, banks are being bailed out, homes are being foreclosed, jobs are being lost, prisons are being filled, schools are being underfunded, history is being altered, promised reforms are being gutted, and the rich are getting richer, we the people are being fed a steady stream of divisiveness and distractions.
The situation is best summarized by perhaps my favorite quote from Chris Palahniuk who said,
"Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn't watching. He's singing and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother's busy holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted. He's making sure you're fully absorbed.
He's making sure your imagination withers. Until it's as useful as your appendix. He's making sure your attention is always filled.
And this being fed, it's worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what's in your mind. With everyone's imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world."
Last night’s meeting was the first in a three part series to unite communities of color and to make it clear that we are all in this together. Stay tuned for more information on the next two sessions...
