Sen. Tim Scott on race and rage in America
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Republican member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, joins Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday.'
Just as we begin to see a light out from the threat of COVID-19, the threats of racism and abuse of power rear their ugly heads. The unnecessary death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer is yet another symptom of a societal virus that is more difficult to eradicate than any physical disease we’ve faced.
Racism continues to claim American lives, and we seem no closer to a cure than we are to finding a vaccine for COVID-19.
As a father and an American citizen, I unequivocally condemn the racism, abuse of power and evil that were demonstrated not only in the instances of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor but also in countless other cases. I mourn with the African-American community for the losses they have endured.
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Yet, while I can easily call out the evil for what it is, I’ll be the first to say that I do not have all of the answers.
The solution for this great evil can only come from a posture of listening to those who have been victimized by it. The majority of us who live outside of the black community cannot begin to imagine living in continuous fear of our rights.
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In the great opposition of establishing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln once said, “Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”
Until we inform ourselves of the injustices, racism and wrongdoings ingrained in the daily reality for African-Americans, we cannot begin to activate a deep desire for these wrongs to be made right.
While it may be difficult for me to understand the unique experiences of my fellow Americans who live this reality every day, I can join them in hoping for a more just and equal future. In desperate circumstances, the potential for hope in our lives can easily be overlooked and underutilized. How we handle one challenge can often determine how we manage future trials in life.
Hope offers endless benefits. Hope gives us peace, joy and courage in the face of pain. Hope helps us choose endurance rather than throwing in the towel. The hope of a better future drives us to confront the horrors of the present.
Have we fully engaged our responsibility for racial justice? Do we genuinely hope for a future of equality and freedom untainted by fear?
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation because he hoped for a great America. In 1955, Rosa Parks declined an order to move out of her seat because she hoped for a better future. In 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr., made his “Dream” speech and led a nonviolent march on Washington, D.C., he hoped that racial prejudice would be a thing of the past.
Following the senseless murders of these American citizens, many of us outside of the black community may share our disappointment and outrage on social media. We may offer our condolences to our black friends, co-workers and the community around us. But we must ask ourselves:
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Have we fully engaged our responsibility for racial justice? Do we genuinely hope for a future of equality and freedom untainted by fear?
We may think that sharing a post or verbal dismay at these situations is enough support. Yet we have forgotten that for a real change to occur, hope must be activated in our lives, and true hope is most authentically reflected in our actions toward that which we hope for.
When we truly embody hope, it ought to have a considerable effect on us. It should impact the way we think, talk and act. It should cause us to be quiet in moments we may speak out, speak up when we'd typically stay quiet, and ignite in us a righteous anger when we would typically turn our heads.
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For those of us watching these injustices take place, it is time we get off the sidelines and begin to activate a hope for racial justice. We must call ourselves, our families, our communities and our nation to a higher standard.
True, life-changing hope is not just a feeling or a sentiment. It is a call to action. It is time for our nation to activate and actualize a hope for the millions who live in fear of their lives and fear of their freedoms.
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