What a month it’s been! In just the past couple of weeks, the Pope made a passionate argument underscoring the need for humans to respect not only other humans, but other species and all life on Earth, while the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of all Americans, no matter their sexual orientation, to civil marriage.
All across the country, a broad-based anti-racist movement grew even stronger in the wake of the gruesome massacre of nine innocent Black church-goers, prompting calls to finally remove the Confederate flag, a relic of the racist Old South, from state offices. Everywhere we look, it seems, the hashtag #LoveWins is flying high.
Here in the Berkshires, I was proud to see many of my neighbors take a strong stand against a column printed in The Berkshire Eagle last week by self-described “conservative activist” Steven Nikitas. The column, entitled “Here’s the Solution for Black America,” is full of misleading information and partial truths. For example, Nikitas claims that the Republican Party, starting with Abraham Lincoln, has been “the staunch ally of blacks for 100 years.”
I doubt that Abe Lincoln would want to associate himself with conservative Republicans like Nikitas, who has nothing positive to say about Black Americans, but has no problem complacently blaming them for their on-going struggle to gain full equality in a society stacked against them since ante-bellum times.
Condescending and frighteningly clueless Republicans like Nikitas are part of the reason that the Republican Party has had such trouble gaining traction with African Americans in national elections. Listen to his “solution” for Black America:
“Conservatives have recommended over and over that blacks reform their culture from top to bottom by respecting marriage and the family and the law, returning to their churches, embracing education and hard work, avoiding violence and debased rap music, speaking clearly, shunning drugs and profanity, and pulling up their pants.”
Talk about an insulting diatribe! There was quite rightly a backlash on social media and in the comments at the Eagle website, causing editor Kevin Moran to print an explanation of why the Eagle published a piece expressing such rabidly racist views.
“No one here at The Eagle will defend Mr. Nikitas’ position and point of view as expressed in his column through the Berkshire County Republican Association,” Moran says, adding, “For the record, we disagree with it. Completely.”
However, Moran believes that it is important for a local newspaper to publish all views and opinions, not just the ones we want to hear. “Publishing a controversial opinion does the community a public service,” Moran writes. “Therefore, we ought not sweep it under the rug. As we say in the First Amendment business, sunlight can be a great disinfectant.”
He urges readers to use Nikitas’ column as a window into the views of the local (and state, and national) Republican Party. If we don’t like what we see there, we should hold Republican leaders accountable — by exercising our Constitutional right to vote.
I agree with Moran that it is better to know the truth about what people in the conservative Republican camp are thinking — especially when they happen to live next door. These days, our reliance on social media as a news source means we rarely encounter a voice we disagree with, since our news feeds are created by our “friends” and our “likes.” If we are never exposed to views we don’t like, we will never learn how to rebut and refute them.
Denied the “disinfecting sunlight” of the First Amendment, objectionable views — racist, misogynist, anti-Semitic or whatever — can fester and grow monsters like Dylann Roof, who wrapped himself in the Confederate flag as he gunned down nine innocent Black men and women in Charleston, S.C.
I would certainly rather Roof learned to use words to express his views, however reprehensible, instead of bullets.
We live in a nation where free speech is a right enshrined in our Constitution, a fact we should not take lightly. Steven Nikitas has a right to his opinion, and so do his critics. The Berkshire Eagle has the right to publish whatever it wants to, as long as it is not defaming an individual or using hate speech to demonize a whole group (as editor Moran admitted, this can sometimes be a fine line, and Nikitas’ rant may have crossed the line into hate speech at times).
It’s been remarkable to witness the families of the Charleston victims insisting that love and understanding is the best antidote to hatred, not more hate. “We are here to combat hate-filled actions with love-filled actions,” said Alana Simmons, a granddaughter of one of the victims, according to an article in The New York Times.
What a remarkably generous, forgiving spirit to invoke in the wake of violence and tragedy. But when we really think about it, of course, she’s right. Hate only breeds more hatred. But loving, thoughtful dialogue can change hearts and minds.
I don’t have high expectations of being able to engage in reasonable dialogue with Steven Nikitas and his pals at the Berkshire County Republican Association. But I will start by asking a simple question of Nikitas: have you ever sat and talked with one of your African American neighbors here in Berkshire County? Have you ever really listened to what they were saying?
Mr. Nikitas, instead of proposing high-handed “solutions” for a Black America you clearly know nothing about, how about spending some time listening to and learning about your Black neighbors. You could start by attending the Berkshire County Lift Ev’ry Voice Festival, a vibrant celebration of African American history and culture running at different venues throughout the summer months.
I’ll end with the Festival’s title poem, written by African American author and educator James Weldon Johnson who wrote this poem while living in Great Barrington. “Lift Ev’ry Voice” was first publicly performed by Black school children at a celebration of President Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, 1900. We’ve come a long way towards racial equality since then, but as the events of the past month have shown us, we still have a ways to go until victory is won.
Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea
Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of a new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
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The weekly EDGE WISE column is curated by Jennifer Browdy, Ph.D., associate professor of comparative literature, gender studies and media studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock and the Founding Director of the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers. Women writers interested in publishing in EDGE WISE can find writers’ guidelines on the Festival website, or may submit queries or columns to Jennifer@berkshirewomenwriters.org.
