Member-only story
Letter From A Jail Warden
A look at race and the responsibility of white Americans
“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It is quite easy for many white Americans who have felt no prejudice for the majority of their lives to inadvertently assume that being a good person and not actively engaging in racist tendencies is enough. It is not.
It is possible to be a “good person,” but to still value comfort over change. It is possible to be willing to give an inch but unwilling to walk a mile with our black brothers and sisters.
If we fail to move our hearts to consistent, informed, and helpful action, we perpetuate a sense of timidity that is just as devious and destructive as expressions of blatant hatred. This way of living doesn’t lead to white Americans being reformed co-laborers and restored advocates. Instead, this way of living leads us to become moralistic jail wardens — acting with intentions we explain as being “good” while failing to address the undercurrents of oppression that allow us to retain power and privilege.
