America on the Brink

day commemorating the end of slavery, as a legal public holiday. It was an act done to correct an omission in our national history. People in the Hamptons are listening and taking steps toward change. On June 19, here in East Hampton, The Calvary Baptist Church and the Anti-Bias Task Force of East Hampton joined by Mayor Jerry Larsen and Michael Tracey, the Chief of Police are creating space to commemorate Juneteenth. I hope you will join us. I am honored by the invitation to participate and give words about the significance of this holiday and the moment in which we find ourselves. This is just a sample of positive steps taken to make a difference and it is important to recognize the good done. One reason we do not see a lot of change in our country is that we do know how to build on what is good. We are fixated on all that is wrong and all that is left to do. In the end, it keeps us in a state of perpetual gridlock with nothing to build on. Too Many Stopped with Listening You may have noticed that I said, “some asked, what can we do?” This is the problem I want to name. Too many white sisters and brothers lack the courage to do anything more than listen. To them, I say, “listening is not enough.” We are slowly settling back into a “status quo” not having changed laws and policies that affect policing, sentencing, and the distribution of economic opportunities and wealth in cities across the country. Our failure to do this leaves so many African Americans in a precarious position, which is why we insist Black Lives Matter. We are also seeing a resurgence of antagonistic attitudes to correcting systemic racism. After years of listening, there is not only fatigue around these conversations, but also significant pushback. The black community needs more than a few listening ears if we are going to build a better America. We need allies with courage or as we say in country “with backbone.” Allies are not just personal friends but groups and organizations willing to take a stand and leverage their influence and resources to stymie the effects of historic racism and white extremism that have become “normative” today. We need more people to do something substantive with what they heard in 2020 and 2021. Here are a few suggestions to start with. Call out the silence and apathy of mainstream white America as extremists hijack our movement and this moment with misinformation, dog-whistling, and any suggestion that working for racial justice is “un-American.” Many want to divide and distract us over the language we employ or the way we approach the important work we have undertaken. Do not allow them to do these things. What is sorely needed in 2022 are white allies with courage who are willing to push against fellow whites. This is hard for many white sisters and brothers. Don’t believe me? Study the history of white Americans who opposed slavery and Jim Crow segregation. They were met with virulent opposition for standing with their black sisters and brothers. Another example of the kind of allies we need are coalitions and partnerships that address specific areas of need (education, healthcare, economic

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