The
stories are overwhelming.
Once again, the destruction
of black lives in a historic church testifies to a legacy of slavery and
lynching kept alive by hate groups and individuals deranged by racism. Over 50
years have passed since the bombing murder of four little girls in a Birmingham
church. How many times does this dreadful eruption of racism and gun violence
get to be repeated?
There would be no room
emotionally for any other story today were it not for the Pope’s historic
encyclical on climate change. No world figure has so compellingly joined the
truth of the planet’s peril to an indictment of systemic forces that foster
extreme inequality and block the changes necessary for survival. Nor has there
been a more powerful appeal to social conscience and responsibility. Gorbachev
once raised hopes with a similar appeal at the United Nations. We can hope and
expect the Pope to be far more influential.
************
There is also a much smaller
story that’s getting oversized exposure over the last few days, especially on
TV and social media. That’s about Rachel
Dolezal, the NAACP activist who is white but who chose to identify as black. I
usually find Charles
Blow’s columns in the New York Times
to be spot on and very insightful. This time, though, I prefer Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar’s take on the episode: Let Rachel Dolezal Be as Black as She Wants to Be
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