W. Kamau Bell is a socio-political comedian that recently came to FSU to hold a seminar called, “Ending Racism in About an Hour,” as part of the Social Justice Symposium. The title itself does not hold back when it comes to disclosing the main topic of discussion, and neither did Bell during his seminar, avoiding words like “Caucasian”, “minority”, and “colorblind” that normally keep people comfortable when talking about race. He didn’t hesitate to dive right in, wasting no time when it comes to a topic that is so important and relevant in our world today. Something he really went into detail about was the importance of recognizing the little things that happen every day to people of color because it doesn’t always have to be big and scary to be racist. Racism spreads all throughout cultures and societies, and it’s gotten to a point where most people don’t even realize that what they’re saying is racist. They don’t think about how it will affect black people and other people of color. Many think that POC take these smaller matters way to close to heart, often using the excuse that “You can’t please everyone.” Who would you rather please? Racists or non-racists? “Most of the time, it doesn’t necessarily boil down to whether or not you intend to be racist, but you still are and it’s still the way it comes out.”
Bell proceeded to talk about how ignorant people can become when they don’t want to admit to their wrongdoings. There are people who would much rather push aside the issue and continue on with their lives. This is often due to the fact that they’ve never truly experienced oppression, always having this privilege that keeps them safe and free from struggle. Bell says, “In today’s society we can’t just ‘agree to disagree because it’s your opinion,’ because what you believe puts people at harm and threatens to diminish their value of life when you step into a voting booth. So, no, I can’t respect it or just agree to disagree.” That phrase should be used when discussing movies, not your beliefs for how you think POC should be treated. Your decisions affect the world.
There are many people out there using their platform to address these issues. Bell continued on to mention celebrities like Colin Kaepernick, who made a choice to kneel during the national anthem. He’s inviting us to have this conversation about institutionalized racism. Not many people want to engage in this conversation because it’s “disrespectful to the flag and the anthem.” Bell proceeded to ask, “Do you stand for the anthem at home for every game? Why is it only for sports if it’s so important? The third verse of the national anthem literally has the words ‘slave’ and ‘grave’ in it. If it doesn’t even include freedom for all then how can it even be something that should be respected? This is the wrong song to invite us to unite together.” This issue is so much bigger than what’s going on in your community. You have to respect the world; that includes everyone in it, no matter who they are.
Bell emphasized the need to figure out how to elevate the leaders we want. There is a desperate need of change legislation and policy, fighting for dreamers, and working towards creating a future that provides equal opportunities for everyone. Bell took this opportunity to address the Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter movements, saying, “We can’t say All Lives Matter. You can say all lives SHOULD matter, but you can’t say All Lives Matter until Black Lives Matter and Trans Life Matter and Disabled People’s Lives Matter… All Lives Matter didn’t even exist until Black Lives Matter existed, that’s how you know it’s a direct attack on Black Lives Matter.” Bell preaches that in order to combat this negativity, we need to keep educating others and promoting positivity and equality. We can end racism by uplifting others who need it most. It’s important to remember that when someone criticizes you and doubts your self-worth, their words highlight their own shortcomings, not yours. We have the power to make a difference, and it is something that we should try to do each day forward.
Courtesy: FSU College of Medicine