Editorial

MLK-White-Silence-768x480 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.[1]” One has to wonder if, a half-century later, whether or not Dr. King was something of a romantic idealist.

3 % Think Racism is Not a Problem

Torch-bearing white supremacists shouting racist and anti-Semitic slogans, clashing with counter-protesters, and a vehicle driven by a known Nazi sympathizer mowing down a crowd of activists, killing one person. Many Americans responded to this weekend’s violence in Charlottesville with disbelieving horror. How could this happen in America, in 2017?

“This is not who we are,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D).

3 percent of Americans think racism is ‘not a problem’ in the US today, down from a peak of 8 percent in 2011. Complaints about discrimination in housing are higher now than they have ever been. More black and Latino males are incarcerated than whites. Unemployment amongst African Americas is higher than average, and the standards of education and healthcare are poor. The Church is still segregated but Christians, for the majority, seem unwilling to act. Racism does not become an issue unless it impacts your life.

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