Silent Majority

In the 1960s it became increasingly less popular to be an outright racist. The Angry White Faces that marched against desegregation, intermarriage, and Civil Rights found that their positions were no longer politically acceptable. In 1968 presidential candidate Richard Nixon supplied two new, more palatable, banners under which this group of people could rally. Today I wish to address the Conservative concept of the Silent Majority.

"The Silent Majority" was a term which was used to describe suburban and rural, blue collar, white people. These people felt that their "traditional values" were being threatened by the changes in society.  With this new label, a white person could hold fast to racist tenets and be perceived as champions of wholesome American values. 

In my previous post, 'Where Did They Go?', I posited that Angry White Faces didn't GO anywhere. Sixty years after the birth of the Silent Majority, people are still championing these causes. An entire political platform is based upon these foundations. 

You can still hear White Americans lamenting the breakdown of traditional values. Conservatives will quickly cite the breakdown of the family. They'll talk about welfare and food stamps. They'll talk about abortion. Anecdotally, I can attest that all one has to do when conversing with a White Conservative about this topic, is ask to as WHO is behind these "moral failures" and the conversation is going to steer toward race fairly quickly. 

In the White American subconscious, there tends to be black and brown faces on these problems. They're, I confess, even in MINE. When I hear "food stamps" the image of an unkempt black woman with a gold tooth, dressed in sweats and a black hair rag pops into my mind. Why? The reality is that WHITE people receive SNAP benefits at a 14.5% HIGHER rate than Black Americans, and 30% higher than Hispanic Americans.  Why does my brain do that? 

In writing this post, my heart is not censure my White brothers and sisters, rather, I want to spur others to take a look at their moral foundations and ask some questions.  

• Who decides what constitutes traditional values? 

• When did they decide that? 

• Why do you subscribe to this idea of traditional values?

• Is it possible that what we consider traditional American values are not the best/only way to live? 

• Is it possible that what White Americans see as moral failure on the part of Black and Brown people is merely the harvest of sinful seeds that were sown by our White American ancestors?

• Is it possible that these morality issues are indicative of a global HUMAN heart problem and not a race specific problem? 

• If so, why is there a black face on it? 

Where Did They Go?: A Specific Reaction To The Film 'I Am Not Your Negro'

In December, my book club read the essay 'The Fire Next Time' by James Baldwin. Before picking up this book, I had never heard of James Baldwin. Initially, I just bought the Kindle edition of the book. Then, after reading it, I felt compelled to purchase the paper copy so I could underline and highlight and reread and digest this man's words. If you've never read Baldwin, I could not recommend his work more. He is both beautifully eloquent and highly relatable.

When we heard that Raoul Peck was making a film based on the writings of James Baldwin AND that it was being shown in our city, we agreed that our book club should see it. Frankly, I wasn't sure what to expect from this film. Even now, a week later, I am still working through the feelings that were stirred within me as I watched this film. Tonight I want to zero in on the imagery which left the biggest question in my mind.

'I Am Not Your Negro' is set in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The majority of the film is comprised of historical photos and footage. The images that struck me most powerfully were not the lynchings or the "Whites Only" signs. The pictures that wrenched my heart were those of Angry. White. Faces. I saw a snide smirk on a white man's lips as a black man was being mercilessly beaten in front of him. I saw cruel pride as a white man in a white t shirt poured food and milkshakes on the head of another human being...the men standing next to him were enjoying the spectacle. I saw righteous indignation on the faces of thousands of white people as they "bravely" stood up for white supremacy and segregation.

Time and again my mind was overwhelmed with this thought..."where did all of these angry white faces go?"  My PARENTS were alive during the 60s. I am not even a generation removed from these images. Surely, they didn't all just change their minds and decide not to be white supremacists. So...where did they go?

If you are a veteran of the Civil Rights and racial justice fights, please forgive my naivete. You might even chuckle now as I share this truth that dawned on me in the dark aisles of my local art house theater.

Friends...white friends specifically, *whispers* these angry white faces didn't go anywhere.  In the next few days and weeks I will explore with you what I think Angry White Faces look like in the 21st century. .