Silent Stones

Statues...dead, immobile, statues. The debate is whether we should remove the statues of confederate soldiers and obelisks of known racists. These monuments intend to celebrate, honor, or remember the past. I don't need a reminder about the past, in part because the past involves slavery. I live in a society which won't let me move past race based identity. I have to identify myself as black on forms throughout my life, knowing it's both inaccurate information, and I'm giving up my ability to be perceived as I choose. The condition or placement of a monument means nothing to me, if the system which created these monuments exists. At UNC-Chapel Hill there is a statue of a confederate soldier on the campus. There are individuals and groups who want to see the statue removed, and  there are others who wish for the statue to remain...What is the true relevance of the conversation though? I work in east Durham roughly 15miles down the road. The students I teach have to negotiate their safety daily. This year alone, I had 1 student get shot, and another student and his family survived a drive-by. Meanwhile, individuals in business casual sitting in outdated furniture debate about statues. Statues...which don't divest funds from public education. Statues, which don't provide after school alternatives to create positive opportunities for children. Statues, which remove healthcare coverage from my students. Statues, which deport students back to their "home" country. These statues are silent, while our leaders are deaf to the cries of my students. It is a privilege to debate edifice placement when the conditions of the formerly oppressed remain steadfast.

The Melting Pot

The United States is often referred to as a melting pot. This metaphor intends to portray the shift from a heterogenous society to a more homogenized one, specifically in terms of race and ethnicity. The American ethos is both apple pie and sesame chicken, Spanish and English, Islam and Christianity. The influx of immigrants to this nation creates a manifold cultural identity, at least that is how we praise ourselves. The truth is that for centuries American identity is defined in terms of an acceptance and perpetuation of white cultural norms, particularly anglo-saxon ones, reflecting our status as a former British colony. The melting pot is not creating a unique multi-layered ethnic identity but a furnace of white ideology; the impurities rise to the surface to be discarded, leaving behind a pure white culture. The customs and ways of life from other cultures are viewed as exotic, deviant, interesting, strange, but never American (no matter how long one's ancestors have been here). The aspects of one's native culture will eventually be discarded, or relegated to secret spaces hidden from the public, to fully participate in the rights and privileges of an American. We see generation after generation of immigrant adopt more white American customs and less of their family heritage. I don't even know my family history because my native customs were whipped out of my people and discarded. Their strength and humanity discarded by slave owners in favor of a more palatable version,  niggers...not men, women, mothers, brothers. Niggers...who knew their place in this society. My racial identity was both stripped and given by the melting pot of America. I feel the heat of the crucible every day, the pressure to conform, but this melting pot only serves to harden my resolve.

A Man's World

Usually, I am proud to be an American. Unfortunately, I am not often proud to be an American, man. This country alleges to be a land of liberty and life. The realities of disparities between the two sexes is an ever-present blight in this country. Wages are vastly unequal, and simply put, this country does not consider the needs of more than half the populace. Despite the overarching culture of male centered life, what concerns me the most is the violence against women. Sexual assault and rape are a natural part of ur culture, with the overwhelming majority of male perpetrators and female victims. These facts are not unique to the United States but several countries. What is the cause of this sex based violence? Is there something inherent about the fabric of this society? Are men implicitly violent? As an American I am deeply troubled. As a man, I am disappointed for not exercising my agency more. It's a man's world and this man's world is killing our women.