Anger and honesty
By Brandon Astor Jones
"We live in two different Americas ... I've never felt American. I've only felt African-American. An American is suppose to have life, liberty, prosperity and happiness. What have my people done to this country to deserve this?" — LeAlan Jones
The young author's question is born of his experience growing up today in the neighbourhoods that I grew up in more than 45 years ago. Very little has changed on Chicago's south side since then.
I have not yet read the book Our America: Life and Death on the South Side Of Chicago, by LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman, but I do not have to. The words that head this column let me know that I have already been there and done that. I have lived Messrs Jones' and Newman's lives long before they were born.
On the other hand, I would like to urge you to read it. Doing so would be a good way for you to see how the colour of one's skin can nullify the United States Constitution's offerings of, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". For far too many men and women of colour, what "life" there is — at best — amounts to life in prison.
There are, indeed, two Americas. Yet hardly a day goes by without me hearing at least one Anglo-American saying, "I am not a racist". Fortunately, for quite a few that declaration will be true, but for most it will be an out and out lie. The lie personifies itself in many ways; I will touch briefly on but one.
In one of my daughter's recent conversations with me, she revealed that she is moving into a new house in a new neighbourhood. Her family is working hard to find a better life. They deserve a better life. As I think of her I am also thinking of some of the racists I have encountered, some of whom do not think of themselves as racist. So I thought I should help them know with clarity precisely what they are:
If you have white skin, live in a nice neighbourhood and suddenly decide to move away for no other reason than because a person or persons of colour moves into the house next door, you are indeed a racist. Is that clear?
Some of you even have the audacity to ask, "Why are African-Americans so angry all the time?" Washington Post columnist William Raspberry spoke well for me and many others when he noted that the "why" of our anger and white racism is "a question only white people can answer".
It is both ironic and sad that so many of that particular group of white people who move out immediately after black people move in can often be found self-righteously criticising a Ku Klux Klan rally and cross burning as if they are somehow above the ignorance of the KKK, when in fact they are as loathsome as any KKK member. The only difference to be the two groups is that one is much more honest than the other.
[The writer is a prisoner in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns. He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, Georgia State Prison, HCO1, Reidsville, GA 30453, USA. For the first time in 17 years, Brandon has the real hope of his sentence of death being mitigated. If you can help by contributing to his defence fund or in other ways, please contact Australians Against Executions, PO Box 640, Milson's Point NSW 2061. Fax (02) 9427 9489. Cheques can be made payable to "Brandon Astor Jones Defence Fund".]