In an uncharacteristic (and admirable) move, FBI director James Comey addressed the increasingly complex relationship between police and the Black community in a frank speech yesterday.
Comey, speaking at Georgetown University, laid out a series of points that need to be remedied before we could truly advance beyond the distrustful climate that has permeated, particularly since the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner this past summer. He urged people of all races to recognize the lack of opportunities that exist in many Black communities, adding that both law enforcement officials and civilians could benefit from more frequent friendly, non-crime related encounters between the two groups.
Quoting the Broadway musical, Avenue Q, Comey said that “everyone’s a little bit racist” (as the song goes, “Look around and you will find/No one’s really color blind/Maybe it’s a fact we should all face/Everyone makes judgments based on race”). It’s unconcious; it’s something we can’t help. However, once we come to terms with our inadvertant racism, we can actually do something about it.
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