The 13 Percent Solution

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Black or African American citizens constitute 13.4 percent of the American population.  This figure makes them the second largest minority population in our country following the 18.5 percent figure representative of Hispanic or Latino citizens.  White citizens make up 76.3 percent of the population.  What do these numbers tell us and how should they be considered when we contemplate the laws, regulations, and cultural habits that make up our society?  Should they have any relevance regarding the Black Lives Matter protests taking place all across America today? 

There is an often-used phrase that I have always considered a good rule of thumb for businesses that serve or cater to the public.  That phrase goes: We should look like the people we serve.  If this approach is actually applied, it means that the racial makeup of an entity would not necessarily reflect a national reality, but rather a local reality.  In fact, a strong case can be made that in many instances, the approach might even reflect a global reality.  Which reality should dictate the racial mix of an entity’s staff that delivers the product?  That would be the reality of the area or region served by the entity. 

Would it be surprising to find an all-hispanic staff in a convenience store that was located in a community that was largely-inhabited by hispanics?  Is it shocking to find that a men’s store or barber shop in a predominantly-black community is staffed by black personnel?  In a basically all-white suburb of an American city, is it uncommon to find a fast food business staffed by white personnel?  I believe the general answer to these questions is “no”.

On the other hand, should a black citizen walk into a government office that administers government programs to all eligible citizens and find no one in the place that looks like they do?  If they walk in the office, they are clearly a part of the client base served by the entity.  Is it reasonable for a hispanic citizen to attend a city government open meeting and see not a single hispanic face in the governing body?  In a society that is 76.3 percent white, what do we think about a National Basketball Association (NBA) league that features 74.4 percent black players?  FWIW…the average annual salary of an NBA player is 7.7 million dollars; a pretty good job if you can get it.  When a parent attends an event at the school where their children attend, should they see that their racial profile is represented in the staff at that institution?  In a city that represents tens of thousands of residents, should we not expect the police force to look like the population it serves and protects?  These are questions that need to be considered when decisions are made about equality in our nation.

When the first settlers arrived in America, they were a mix of European adventurers.  They arrived in a land that was occupied by Native Americans.  Over the decades of history, Canadians have immigrated southward to our country; Hispanics and South Americans have immigrated north to the United States.  Our country has absorbed people from all across the globe into a society that is a virtual kaleidoscope of race and ethnicity.   Together, this diverse mix of customs and heritage comprise the America we all know today; they make up one country that represents them all.  While cherishing and honoring their individual pasts and histories, they are now a part of a larger whole and have chosen to be citizens of these United States.  Even though they rightfully cling to the experiences that have uniquely made them what they are, they have subjugated those events to the ideal of a community that can accept them respectfully and yet demand their allegiance to a larger and broader set of customs and laws. 

The old saying “America, love it or leave it” has become politically incorrect and is often used in a harsh and alienating fashion.  But at the heart of these words, there is an implicit message.  By choosing to live in our country and taking part in the privileges that American citizenry offers, a person has entered into a contract with others.  Those others are the ones that make up this nation from top to bottom and side to side.  They are white, brown, black and many other shades of skin color.  They represent many different attitudes, customs, histories, and beliefs about how they should live and celebrate life.  All citizens expect and demand equality; but to embrace equality is to embrace tolerance.  Tolerance demands that we respect the rights and dignity of others who might look and behave differently than we do.  Tolerance requires that we cannot dictate to others our own customs and beliefs that might exist at the expense of their customs and beliefs.  Tolerance is a trait that we cannot rightfully demand receipt of without genuinely giving it away. 

If a person wants to live in an America that fashions itself according to a pattern of their personal beliefs, they can likely find that place somewhere in this country; that is freedom.  That place might be a community that consists of similar races and ethnic customs.  That place might be a city or town that is largely composed of similar races and ethic customs.  That place might even be a state that predominantly represents certain races and ethnic customs.  But the essential element that must be maintained in this migratory pattern is the fact that while you and your neighbors might enjoy your individual lifestyles and customs, there are other Americans out there who think and behave differently.  Tolerance demands that you understand and participate in the concept of a broad and diverse country.  While celebrating your personal self, you respect the rights of others to celebrate theirs. 

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And while some might voluntarily choose to live among those who look and behave as they do; there will be others who can find enjoyment and comfort in a society that features a spectrum of different attitudes and cultures.  Those cities and towns and communities somehow find a way to blend together a multitude of heritages that ultimately result in a collective environment of mutual appreciation for the qualities of each.  These groups represent the original concept of an America that our founders envisioned as a melting pot of the human experience. 

Ultimately, the point is that our nation was created in such a fashion that its inhabitants might live a life with freedom and dignity in a range of different environments.  They have the inherent right to move around in this country and find a place that suits their personal inclinations.  They even have the right to leave these United States if they are unable to find a spot where they can live with contentment and satisfaction.  These opportunities and rights are the principles that make our country unique and precious.  They are the bedrock foundation upon which our governments, both national and local, should build and operate upon.  Equality driven by tolerance is a concept that must be rediscovered by our citizens if we are to achieve the true ideals of our founders.

Equality is a product of equal opportunity that demands accountability and ambition.  Its premise requires that a participant is willing to contribute as well as receive.  If a person accepts this premise and lives accordingly, equality can become a reality that exists without fanfare and bluster.  It becomes a normality that need not be demanded because it is a natural part of being.  It fosters a culture of mutual respect and dignity that obsoletes the need to distinguish between races and ethnicity.  We shouldn’t need to write Hispanic American…or Black American…or White American.  We should simply write hispanic American…or black American…or white American; or even better, let’s just write American.

Tolerance must be practiced in a broad sense in order to be authentic.  Tolerance of those who only agree with the one tolerating is not tolerance at all.  It is a narrow-minded type of bigotry that illustrates the highest form of hypocrisy.  This practice leads to a false standard of behavior that is actually anathema to the fundamental concept of tolerance.  The history of man is rife with the horrific consequences of institutional group-think and indoctrination that require allegiance to a specific set of attitudes and beliefs.  Tolerance can be inconvenient, messy, and inefficient; but true tolerance demands that the substance of differing opinions be heard, considered, and represented to some degree when determining how society exists.  Authentic representation is a critical element of equality and tolerance. 

And even more importantly, once those differing opinions are entertained; the possessors of those differing opinions should respect and appreciate their opportunity to have been heard and then willingly defer to the majority disposition.  They understand that having enjoyed the liberty to express their opinions and agendas, they have failed to convince a sufficient number of others to embrace those ideals.  While they may continue to hold those ideals personally, they nonetheless should accept the will of the majority and tolerate the reality of the whole.  It is irresponsible, counterproductive, and childish to advocate “burn it all down” if you don’t get your way.  Tolerance freely given should result in tolerance being received.  A minority does not dictate to the majority.  A minority may demand respect, dignity, and opportunity; but not the privilege of authority over the whole.