Friday, August 21, 2020
An incident at work came about last night when someone mentioned a few non-pc pictues on HB's Facebook page. They were up cartoonish sumo wrestling suits that were part of a fundraiser eight years ago. A few emails were sent among the HB RACE group. I sent one as well:
I have a dozen or so racquetball buddies who I Zoom with every Wednesday morning for an hour as a way of staying connected during Covid. Since George Floyd, our hour together has become a deep, sustained discussion of race, racism, white privilege, white supremacy, chapters of American history we were never taught, and the national reckoning we're currently in the midst of in America.
This past week we talked about a presentation by Jeffery Robinson, ACLU Deputy Legal Director (link below). This magnificent presentation has been with me all week, in particular, the foundations and cornerstones that exist in this country and the Lee Atwater-style coded messaging that has been used to great effect and is still used by political parties, institutions, society, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOPGpE-sXh0
We all have an archive of our past as documented in photo albums, writings, letters, emails, Facebook posts and pics, and we're now called upon to revisit that archive with clearer eyes. It can be a humbling and at times embarrassing exercise, but it is also a necessary, inspiring and good exercise that is simply an extension of the reckoning we're living through.
Like many of you, I find great comfort and solace in work. Staying busy is just a wonderful thing. But I also find great joy and inspiration in connecting with the people I care about, which is perhaps what has made these past five months of sheltering in place so challenging. I wonder if there might be any interest in a weekly one-hour forum or discussion group where those of us who would like to can come together and just talk about and listen to all of this profoundly heavy stuff that is rising to the surface for everyone. I'll help put it together if given the green light.
The Washington Post had a great op ed denouncing Trump. I approve:
A second Trump term might injure the democratic experiment beyond recovery
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