Protests after the release of a tape featuring racist remarks by LA City Council President
Senator Tommy Tuberville made racist remarks at a Trump rally in Nevada
Racism is a persistent part of American life and history regardless of geographical location or political affiliation. This week two news stories emerged that illustrate this reality. In Los Angeles, an audio tape surfaced in which the President of the City Council, Nury Martinez, made blatant racist remarks about Black people in general and the Black child of a white city council member in particular. The first video posted below summarizes that story. In Nevada, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville used obvious racial stereotypes about Black criminality and entitlement during a speech at a Trump rally. The second video posted below summarizes that story. While both instances of racist speech were offensive and deserved to be called out, the reactions of those who heard that speech were vastly different. In Los Angeles, protests were swift and widespread. Nury Martinez was forced to step down as President of the City Council and took a leave of absence from the Council. She also apologized for her actions. In Nevada, the crowd at the rally applauded and cheered Tuberville’s racist trope. Following the rally, nearly all the members of his political party refused to condemn or hold him accountable for his remarks and simply suggested that he be more “polite.”
Lifting up these two recent news stories is not meant to limit the reality of racism to blatant hate speech or to the two people who used such speech. Racism is more than an individual character flaw or isolated examples of hate speech. Rather, it is deeply imbedded in the history and structures of our society. Yet when racism erupts in any of its forms, the consequences are important. Will we hold ourselves and others accountable or will we reinforce racism by vocally or silently applauding words and/or structures that maintain the status quo? That is an ongoing question for each of us individually, for our communities, and for our nation. When we choose accountability, we honor the image of God in every person. Any other choice diminishes the image of God in all of us.