More than 87% of an iceberg is submerged and out of sight. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
This video has circulated on social media. Many have seen it. I saw it a few days ago. Notwithstanding the tragic outcome in Minneapolis, this video is as disturbing as the George Floyd video if not more so.
Amy Cooper is young, white, well-educated, and middle-class. She lives in New York City, the most diverse city in the United States. One week ago she was walking her dog in a wooded area in Central Park called the Ramble. It was the same day as George Floyd’s death.
Christian Cooper, a Black man, was in the Ramble bird watching. He is a board member of the New York City Audubon Society, although that is irrelevant to the issue. The Ramble has a posted rule requiring that dogs be leashed. Cooper told Amy her dog needed to be on a leash.
This is what followed.
It is outrageous. Cooper, of course, asserts she is no racist and has nothing against Black people. I bet she believes that. Assume Amy is not a racist. That makes the situation worse. She is admitting to using racism (she assumes racist cops will believe her and arrest the Black man) as a weapon to assert her power as a white person. Racism is just one more arrow in her quiver, and she is willing to use it without second thoughts.
Author/Activist Baratunde Thurston’s video op-ed, below, summarizes many of my thoughts very well. Please listen to it. The video is only four minutes.
George Floyd’s death illustrates one of the more visible forms of racism. The Amy Cooper video represents the submerged portion of the racist iceberg that causes more damage than the portion that is visible.
Systemic racism must be rooted out of police departments. That won’t happen until systemic racism is rooted from American society. That requires honest effort from everyone.
I was struggling today to come up with a post today. It finally dawned on me to share what I was thinking about.
Had you heard of this incident? What are your thoughts?
Salsaworldtraveler'sblog 
Spot on. Thank you for your thoughts and I enjoy following you!
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Thank you! I appreciate that.
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Thanks for your like of my article, “American History and Slavery;” you are very kind.
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It looks like a very interesting post. I want to comment but need time to digest. Thanks for sharing the information.
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Thank you. It is just a timeline of events, with historic comments. I have no comments in the article.
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Well said, brother.
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Thank you! Baratunde Thurston expressed my feelings very well.
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Discrimination is definitely the result of systematic conditioning of centuries. And what we see is the tip of the iceberg for sure.
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Sadly most people with racist thinking don’t even realize it. It is much easier to not question one’s attitudes.
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You’re right about the iceberg.
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Thank you for checking out my blog and following. I am now following your blog too.
😊
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Reblogged this on Let's Break Dawn Barriers and Build Bridges and commented:
http://www.inspiringvideo.wordpress.com
http://www.foreigncorrspondent.wordpress.com
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Thanks. I didn’t see the videos in the reblog.
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It took me minutes to write this comment. We’re facing many racial issues here in my country. But sadly they aren’t treated as such by the authority. I don’t know, but I guess we can’t rely on the authority to overcome this problem. We need to empower ourselves, to equip ourselves with knowledge and experience, so we can understand that we are all fundamentally the same: human.
It’s a beautiful piece of writing. It must be hard for you to compose it.
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Your wrote a beautiful comment. I believe you are absolutely right that increasing understanding among people is the answer. Writing the post was easy actually once I decided to do it.
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Thank you very much. Stay safe and have a wonderful day. 🙂
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Only in America…
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With liberty and justice for all. It doesn’t say how much liberty and how much justice.
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I had seen the Amy Cooper video, and it is simply outrageous. But I had not seen Baratunde’s thoughtful response, so thank you for sharing it. Let’s hope all these protests have a meaningful effect on the state of racism in our country…
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I hope there is a positive and lasting impact from the protests. I fear the next Trump rally will set things back again.
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I just keep hoping that people will eventually see Trump for what he really is and that he will lose in a landslide come November…
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Gen. Mattis’ statement is right on. When Trump loses any bets on if he will conceede?
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that’s too scary to even think about…
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I also hate to think about that possibility but he couldn’t even accept the results when he won. Lord knows what will happen when he loses.
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that’s when we might really need the national guard and the military…
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What a mess that would be.
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And who would they take orders from – a lame duck president?
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Losing the election might be the only thing that would get the cowardly Republicans to part ways with Trump. Questioning election results jeopardizes their elections too.
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That’s true; good point. And at the end of the day, that’s all that most of them care about – getting reelected.
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Thank you for sharing this with us. It’s one of your best posts, ever, and that’s saying something, as your posts are always very well done…
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Thank you. This post is a bit experimental. It certainly departs from my usual topics.
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I’ve been closely following these incidents. The levels of entitlement and inhumanity remind us of our ages old inhumanity that lurks in our species
To add further insult has been our chief executive’s response. On the other hand, it’s good to see and hear how people are willing to help enable some semblance of solidarity in society. All things considered I feel we are in a profoundly terrible situation.
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I’m afraid I agree with your assessment of the state of our nation and humanity in general. Reasonable people must keep working to better ourselves and the country. Thanks for the great comment.
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Is it just me? I could not watch the footage until the ending. It was simply impossible. I don’t care about peoples agendas, this needs to be adressed; no matter what your political view is. The said thing is really, even though this went viral, these things happen all the time in the land of the free … Let’s stop looking away
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I watched the whole video even though there were no revelations in it. As you say it merely is another example of what any Black person can be subject to anytime, anywhere. People are imperfect. I think racism is on of the easier imperfections we have to deal with. We must all strive to do so every day. It begins as you point out, by not looking away. Great comment! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Many people see a black man murdered by a white policeman. What I see is an innocent man killed by a crooked cop. So, I guess we are not the same. And, that is why there’s such a racial divide in our country.
Is it any less “racist” when a group of black teens drag an elderly white man from his car and beat him to a pulp? Does the slavery of 150 years ago still justify that? What if I were that elderly white man? Does the fact that my ancestors were abolitionists and fought to end slavery get to be conveniently ignored or forgotten because I am white?
Yes, we all need to and should recognize and celebrate our heritage, our culture, and our ethnicities. They are part of who we are. Does that make us racist? Is it only racist to do so if you are white? I love learning about other cultures. I have traveled the globe and immersed myself in different cultures. But I have white skin – so I am automatically racist?
As long as we continue to categorize human beings by skin color and insist on putting people in their assigned boxes, racism will continue. Until we can look at each other and see just another child of God, different yet the same, racism will continue. Until we can look at another man and not see a red man, a black man, a yellow man, a brown man, or a white man, and just see a man, racism will continue.
This “us vs. them” only perpetuates and aggravates the problem.
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Thank you for commenting so thoughtfully. Regarding George Floyd (and the very very long list of others) I think we must look at that situation as involving egregious mistreatment of someone who has been convicted of nothing and someone who is Black. Both facts are relevant IMO. Given the fact that Blacks are a minority of the people police deal with, the fact that nearly all of these situations of death of innocent people at the hands of police involve Black men seems to rule out statistical randomness.
I think we are all racists on some level. It is part of human makeup. That is my unsubstantiated view. Just like the ability to commit normally unthinkable acts like the Holocaust, the Killing Fields, or the Rwandan genocide is in all of us. That doesn’t mean we are bad people. It just means we are imperfect. Thank God the overwhelming majority of us are able to conform our behavior to higher standards. Even though I may have some natural racial bias or preference, I strive to not let any subconscious attitudes affect the way I treat others. I hope that by understanding that I may be subject to this potential personal weakness I’m able to avoid falling into its trap. Yet I know that despite my best efforts it is possible I may unknowingly not always be so.
Nothing justifies beating someone because of the color of their skin. But the injustices did not end with slavery. I’m not saying that is what you are suggesting. Slavery ended about 150 years ago. As I get older, that doesn’t seem like such a long time. The widely accepted legalized racism of the Jim Crow laws ended less than 70 years ago. It is easy to pass on those attitudes. How quickly do they change without concerted effort?
I vividly remember a two-week Civil War battlefields tour I took in the late 60s with other high school students. On a visit to Ft. Sumter I had to use the bathroom. The bathrooms were identified only with headshot silhouettes. I didn’t realize I was in the wrong one until I found no urinals and a sanitary napkin machine on the wall. Remembering Emmett Till, I hid in one of the stalls very afraid that if a white woman saw me I could be lynched, charged with rape, or who knows what. After a few minutes of terror I made a break for it and left. I think no one saw me fortunately. To the extent there was some rational basis for my fear then, how much have things changed now?
I’m with you. Classifying people by race and ethnicity doesn’t help although I don’t mind if people of any race realize that I am of African descent. We are all brothers and sisters in the same family. We should all treat each other that way. Your comment and thoughts are well taken.
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This incident was another case of someone (this time white) asserting their power over someone else (more often than not, black) to deflect away from the fact she was not following the leash law and that he called her on it. She may have believed what she was saying just like so many believe the crap that is spouted by #45. Why can’t people just be honest and give a damn about someone other than themselves? Stay well. Allan
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As I said in another comment, it seems that racism isn’t that person’s only problem. You raise an interesting point that racism is related to power and privilege things people generally do not surrender easily. I am well and trying to stay that way although I miss travel. Thanks for your great comment and be well!
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I hadn’t seen Thurston’s video-thanks for showing it. He is absolutely right about her use of the perceived power she has. It’s undeniable racism but her reaction was so over the top that I wonder if she doesn’t have mental health issues as well. But the underlying problem still remains and unfortunately I don’t see a solution unless the makeup of American society changes. As a European it seems to me to be too elitist and unequal which goes hand in hand with its innate racism. But how to change that?
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I think you are right. Racism isn’t that person’s only problem. She certainly thinks racism works to her advantage however. I don’t exclude Europe from this problem though. America must deal with the legacy of slavery and legalized discrimination. Europe has a colonial history of white supremacy that affects that continent to this day. I wish there was an easy answer or any answer to your question of how to change. My best guess is that change must involve acknowledging the problem and making conscious efforts to correct it. I think that is how change is always effected. Thanks for the great comment.
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This is dreadful! Hideously embarrassing for this young woman except that she
probably isn’t. Racism is an awareness issue now – we all know what it is but we need to continue the question and not brush over it – am I being racist? Because the thing is – as systematic and long lived as racism is in societies throughout the world – people are brainwashed and have learned behaviours that even if they don’t want to admit to – they have inside of them. It takes a long time for this sort of ingrained pattern to be eradicated. I would hate to think I’m racist and I would hate to think I act in a pattern or cycle – but how can I not if I have so many other patterns that exist in my subconscious and I am not even aware of them. This is where awareness and commitment to change is so important. I am in deep reflection on these issues – it is indeed an iceberg and the first thing that every single one of us must ask is – where is my behaviour coming from? Where is that thought coming from? Am I being racist? How would I feel if…? In this way we can truly progress on this very important matter. The trouble is there are many people taking moral high ground and knee jerk reactions assured that they are being “good”. It’s a brush off. We must reflect. I can only commit to unearthing my own unconscious patterns. I will try. I will strive for change and if every person on the planet does this…change can occur.
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Thank you for your sincere and thoughtful comment! I agree that self reflection and active thinking is necessary to overcome racism. In America, children recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school. It ends with the phrase “with liberty and justice for all.” Repeating that lie (and the others about equality) brainwashes people into thinking there is no or very little racism.
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I think it is the endless thoughtless repetition without deep contemplation and reflection which are needed to bring about change. The same thing happens in facilities everywhere – schools, churches. In churches people listen to the gospel and nod and then walk past people in need in the street, gossip, judge and avoid helping or being kind. Yet if you asked them they would state they are a good Christian and believe in God. I think the best thing that can happen right now is for all of us to look deeply into patterns of behaviour that we are perpetuating without realising it. And that’s what’s got to change.
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Your comments are right on. Things never change by saying a few magic words.
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