BY DR. CHRISTOPHER JORDAN
Every individual and group of individuals who share common purpose will be alert to that which serves them best, and to that which inhibits them.
It is natural to encourage beneficial life-enhancing factors and to discourage or change those that are impeding us. We can trace historically the various processes of change that have occurred throughout the world, resulting in our current state of society.
Each of those processes of change reflects an element of necessity underlying the greater good for the majority of people and — if observed carefully — illuminates the positive steps as well as the calls for further improvement. Many examples regarding all aspects of life could be cited.
When we primarily choose to look for the differences between us, defending what we believe to be best for us and disregarding its influence on others, we cannot possibly be interested in a healthy society. “… A house divided cannot stand.” (Thanks, Abe).
I cite as examples two social turning points that could have been opportunities for the unification of ideals, but instead became standards for division.
In 2013, Alicia Garza, reacting to the acquittal of a white man accused of the death of a young Black man here in Florida, wrote on Facebook, “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter. Black lives matter.”
Picking up on that post, Patrisse Cullors added #Blacklivesmatter to the worldwide web. With what could have been a collective recognition of the continued prejudices that remain intact in our society, the concept of Black Lives Matter became offensive to some.
I may be going out on a limb here, but I am certain the inference of “And, no other lives matter but the Black ones” was not intended.
Beginning in the 2010s, the term Woke was being used in politics and social activism. It was a rallying point for those who desired to reduce racial prejudice and discrimination, and came to encompass all social inequalities, including sexism. The Oxford English Dictionary included that definition of “woke” in 2017.
But rather than it being another opportunity for unity, it became the current phrase utilized to exemplify our differences. Worse than that, it has been weaponized to beat back societal growth, beginning with altering history to prove the righteousness of those who wish not to see the inequities of humanity past and present, or at the very least, feel those inequities should be de-emphasized or not even considered.
There are those on both sides of the issue of inequality who flame the fires. Statements regarding the discomfort of white people regarding difficult subject matter in no way improve the situation; any more than does the disregard for policies that are purposely designed to segregate and create inequality.
Read Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law as an example. All men and women are inextricably tied to one another. John Donne’s “… don’t ask for whom the bell tolls,” essentially states that all lives matter, and they should matter to all.
We all see what we are willing to see, and only see when our eyes are open. When sleeping, our eyes are closed. Our eyes are open when we are awake.
So, wake up, you will be better able to see. Look wider, look further. Take it all in. See what you haven’t seen. Awaken, and you will be Woke.
— Jordan, of DeLand, is the owner, with his wife, Mercedes, of Jordan Health Clinic & Day Spa.
