Our great country, whom I love, is in a state of turmoil. Playgrounds are safe in your town but not mine due to the pandemic, amusement parks are safe in Florida but not Ohio? Added to the virus pandemic, our nation is experiencing an inner battle about race. While I strongly believe an advocate that all should be treated equal, regardless of race, and all should love all (all is all), I do know there are injustices in this world. Black Lives Matter. Of course they do. Then multiple black police officers and individuals were killed during the “peaceful protests”. I don’t see any outrage. Black individually owned businesses burned to the ground. Silence. Deadliest weekend in Chicago just occurred according to data. Then you hear- Look at the data, no, not that data. Do the math. No, you can’t do the math like that. Only the experts can understand the data and math. What do you mean other cities/states/governors are interpreting the data differently? Playgrounds are safe in your town but not mine? Just listen to the black community leaders. No, not them. If you are silent you are part of the problem. If you speak, you are part of the problem. If you have to ask, you don’t understand. If you don’t ask, you don’t care. Jake and I do not see eye to eye on it and that is okay too....it is perfectly okay to have a difference of opinion, that is one of the beauties of America.
Yes, I believe racism exists against all races and that "white supremacy", along with other supremacies in other races exist (for example my son received a consequence at school for a situation but the other boy involved did not, why? race?), and yes there are bad cops.....but I also believe more in the good! I believe a majority of our nation is not racist and I believe a majority of the cops are good. Yesterday, as I engaged with my brother and later reflected on our conversation (along with my sister in laws), I once again self-reflected and here are some of my thoughts on the conversation. Do not "defund" the police, provide more education for them. Did you know a hair dresser goes through more training than the police officer, that is nuts! Provide more training.
They spoke of segregated neighborhoods and CEO jobs in Fortune 500 companies disproportionals, do they exist, yes. Want to change the segregated communities, desegregate our nation. If you look at a map of the United States broken down by the races, you notice the South has the highest numbers or blacks...provide enticements to move out West and other areas of the nation.Just Saturday when we arrived, my brothers referred to the South as the "dirt South", well what features or characteristics of the land make it "dirty" or undesirable? Is it the land features or the the culture, you feel is dirty---maybe it is neither but a skewed perception? It is also not just that in one'e head, they feel a certain race must be hired for a position in certain areas. For example, when looking to fill a leadership role in Memphis and your mind is made up it needs to be a person of color, that it discrimination against race. Why? What if another candidate is ruled out that is better qualified due to color? Maybe that mind set is helping to keep the nation segregated?
CEO positions, the white population is very much disproportional too in that aspect. Nearly, 75% of the United States identifies is white, yet less than the CEO positions are held by white Americans. The most disproportional area is the Asian community which is less than 5% of the nations make up yet 30% of the CEO jobs are held by those whom identify themselves as Asians.Additionally, I have hear that one prefers to associate with people like them, socioeconomically, culturally, etc and often fear is instilled in people with lack of likeness....that is wrong! I am not any more scared of a black man than a white man because of the color of their skin nor their actions. Why, maybe because I am immersed with associates and friends that are of color, so the color of their skin does not cause me anxiety. You can a clean dressed black man and a "thuggish" looking white man walking together down the street and I will be more anxious by the white man (and yes I know the thuggish the comment can be skewed as a stereotype, even though it is not meant that way). Part of a happy/ peaceful nation is benefiting from the differences between races, male and female—to receive strength through and be blessed by differences. We might think we want our friends/neighbors to have the same attitudes and qualities that we do, but differences actually strengthen our nation. When we understand our divine roles, traits, and distinctive capacities as men and women and build on those, we bring strength to our country.
If you want to change society, you change with love and teaching love, tolerance, and being non-judgmental. You offer despite of what area of the nation you live in, the same opportunities. You help diversify areas of our great nation- this helps breaks down barriers and stereotypes, as we take the opportunities to come to know other races and cultures when they become our neighbors. This also helps with the educational schools, where "inner city" is no longer inner city because we are dispersed with one another and truly helping all as the Savior would. You see I want to be better, to know better, and to teach better but I do not want to discredit who I or my children are either. I love and respect the differences among us. Good people are good people. We are Americans- we will rise stronger, better, and filled with more love towards one another. I vow to do all I can as a momma to teach my crew love for all and to be non-judgmental of others. We want our children to see that good in people, know that good, and love it.
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Although I am not articulate with words, I think my feelings can best be expressed through this article released from the prophet and the NAACP:
"We met for the first time two years ago. The occasion was a simple conversation between leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That unlikely meeting was a first. But it sparked insights about ways to work together to improve self-reliance and upward mobility for inner-city and minority families.
During
our collaborations, we quickly felt deep respect for one another, even
referring to ourselves as “brothers from another mother.” Our common
bond as followers of Jesus Christ and as religious leaders gave us a
natural foundation from which to build a friendship as well as an
opportunity to better appreciate each other’s unique perspective and
experience.
Some
might think us unlikely collaborators, but our respective organizations
have connected in a significant way. Not as black or white, not as
Baptists or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
but as children of God who are working to bring hope, happiness, and
love to all of God’s children.
Our
joint efforts have shown that we have far more in common than issues
that, at first glance, might appear to divide us. Both of our
organizations have learned lessons from the past. Both of us have been
willing to listen to and learn from each other. Respect and cooperation
have yielded the sweet fruit of reconciliation, admiration, service, and
genuine love.
United, we declare that the answers to racism, prejudice, discrimination
and hate will not come from government or law enforcement alone.
Solutions will come as we open our hearts to those whose lives are
different than our own, as we work to build bonds of genuine friendship,
and as we see each other as the brothers and sisters we are — for we
are all children of a loving God.
We
share deep sorrow for the senseless, heinous act of violence that
needlessly took the life of George Floyd. We mourn with his family,
friends and community. We likewise look on with sadness at the anger,
hate, contempt and violence spilling onto America’s streets, devastating
cities across the nation, and creating fear and anxiety in citizens
across this great land.
The
wheels of justice should move fairly for all. Jesus of Nazareth came
that we might have life, and have it “more abundantly.” We should follow
His example and seek for an abundant life for all God’s children. This
includes protecting our brothers and sisters who have been wronged and
bringing to justice those who have taken life or broken the law, thus
robbing others of an abundant life.
What
is the solution? Whether you are a believer or not, Jesus Christ taught
an inspired model that leads to peace and harmony — to love God first,
and then to love our neighbor as ourselves. We don’t pretend that either
of these pursuits is easy, but we do declare that they yield the fruits
the Lord promised.
We
agree with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s statement, that “hate cannot
drive out hate. Only love can do that.” It is this kind of love that
inspires us to do the rigorous work of building bridges of cooperation
rather than walls of segregation and alienation.
We
call on people everywhere to join us in a journey of understanding and
overcoming. As de Tocqueville said, America is great because she is
good. It is paramount that we rediscover the goodness in each and every
human heart. In this spirit, there are things every one of us can do.
We
invite all to pray to God that the people of this land will heed the
Divine call to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s
children.
We
also invite people of goodwill everywhere to look for ways to reach out
and serve someone of a different background or race. Everyone can do
something.
Prejudice,
hate and discrimination are learned. Thus, we call on parents, family
members, and teachers to be the first line of defense. Teaching children
to love all, and find the good in others, is more crucial than ever.
Oneness is not sameness in America. We must all learn to value the
differences.
We
likewise call on government, business, and educational leaders at every
level to review processes, laws, and organizational attitudes regarding
racism and root them out once and for all. It is past time for every
one of us to elevate our conversations above divisive and polarizing
rhetoric. Treating others with respect matters. Treating each other as
sons and daughters of God matters.
We
likewise remind everyone that we must renounce illegal acts such as
looting, destruction, and defacement of public or private property.
Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong. Evil has never
been resolved by more evil.
Arm in arm and shoulder to shoulder, may we strive to lift our brothers and sisters everywhere, in every way we can.
We first linked arms as friends and have now locked arms in love and brotherhood. The people of America can do the same.
President Russell M. Nelson, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO
Leon Russell, NAACP Chairman of the Board
The Reverend Amos C. Brown, Chairman Emeritus of Religious Affairs, NAACP
