By Kenneth Hardin

Last week, as I approached my 58th year occupying space on this third planet from the sun, I wasn’t in a celebratory mood. I enjoyed a fun party at the Veterans Social Center a week before my personal New Year’s day, that was attended by close to 100 of my friends. But afterwards, real life came calling and I reluctantly opened the front door to my mind without looking at its ring doorbell camera first. I never initiate discussions about race, ethnicity, or racism, but for
some reason people want to ask me my thoughts and opinions as if I’m the diversity Yoda. The only problem is that they get upset that I don’t give them the watered down Kool-Aid without the sugar response they were hoping for that helps them sleep at night. There are skinfolk out there who’ll dance when there’s no music playing and scratch when they don’t itch to make those seeking validation, that think they don’t harbor racist views, feel comfortable. Well, I ain’t one of them.

The questions and discussions have been so continual, I decided to push a step ladder up against the side of my head to see what was going on inside. I wandered around my orbital lobe, careful not to impact this intracranial communication area, but wanting to know what others saw in me that made them so comfortable seeking out my sage advice. When I returned to the entry point on the side of my head, the ladder was gone, so I decided to hunker down and try to make sense of it all.

Black lives have never really mattered in this country except to the building of wealth we don’t share in. To have to even plead for humanity and civility is sad. In one conversation, a gentleman, who doesn’t look like me, defended the systemic institution of racism by saying he had nothing to do with what happened centuries ago by his ancestors. I asked him if he would be willing to forgo any benefits he’s received as a result of his ancestors’ misdeeds and give up
anything related to it. He didn’t want to go there. We shouldn’t blame people today for what their forebearers engaged in, but I get weary of the pious and dismissive attitude some share when they won’t even acknowledge or denounce the sins of this country towards Native Indians and Africans. I don’t believe in monetary reparations, but there should be some type of restitution. Companies like Aetna, JP Morgan Chase, Norfolk Southern, Brooks Brothers, New York Life, and many others participated and benefited from slavery. Even prestigious higher education institutions like Yale, Princeton, Columbia University and Georgetown benefited from slavery. But denial and rationalization is better than acknowledgement and making amends.

Several years ago, my family traveled to SC to meet the descendants of the family that enslaved our ancestors. This spectacle was even covered by this paper. I refused to attend the charade. They all attended a church service and sat to break bread together. When it was over, everyone went back to their segregated lives. There was never an offer from the family to give back any land or financial benefits they had received, but they left feeling as if they had accomplished
something noble.

Racism is no longer loud and obtrusive. People who hate aren’t marching in silly colorful robes hiding their faces and calling people of color “coons and ni**ers.” Hate has gotten more sophisticated. Now they’re in suits and ties, sweaters, and button down shirts. Racists today are perfecting what President Lyndon Johnson said about the hatred of Black people, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”  Politicians like Trump, DeSantis and even some here are skillfully playing this sick game by making anything related to Black achievement scary and taboo. They’ve positioned themselves as the noble protectors of everything blancura and people are emptying their woke pants pockets like it’s a deadly disease they can catch.

I gave a litmus test to a business owner recently, who sought out my Obi-Wan Kenobi advice. I challenged him and extend it to other  business owners, those in hiring roles and leadership positions.  If you preach a commitment to diversity and proclaim to harbor no feelings of racial animus, try it. Take a look at your senior leadership team, your 2nd tier management team, your percentage of employees of color, your marketing and PR team and finally those who sweep, mop, and clean up. Ask yourself where is your diversity?

I see my step ladder is back, so  I’m climbing down out of my head until next week.

Kenneth L. (Kenny) Hardin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.