The definition of race-baiting is the improper use of statements about race to influence a particular group of people.

By A. Govea

I do not know about you; Pero recently, I have seen an uptick of this on social media and in some news outlets and sadly from POTUS. In an interview with Chris Wallace, he argued that military bases named for Rebel Generals should remain that way. On Fort Bragg, he said it served “Two beautiful World Wars.” First, no-one should ever describe the first War as beautiful, and second, the leaders of the armed forces support the name changes. Trump said, “What do you want us to change it to the Reverend Al Sharpton,” Sounds like race-baiting Ca-No?

            On Facebook, I have people post old news stories that highlight serious crimes by Blacks against White people. One has a report of a young black man who raped and murdered a white elderly female veteran—immigrant crimes against young White women, sex trafficking, drug smuggling, E Mas. More examples are out there, but for sure, calling COVID-19 has increased hate crimes against Asian Americans. And someone in our community (well, maybe cannot be sure nowadays) posted a picture of murdered Army solder Vanessa Guillen’s funeral, which is an incredibly sad event. Pero, the message here was, “Where were her gold casket and all the celebrities.” Folks this is race-baiting meant to separate La Raza from the Black community. Before I leave Vanessa, I want to thank our community for standing up for her and her family. And for sure, LULAC and their National president Domingo Garcia for his part in demanding justice for her.

            Some people have a genuine interest in keeping our communities separated, and if you can pit a minority group against the other, it is a win for them. As for the crimes against old White folks, that is a reminder for the Trump folks (They hate us), and if you are on the fence, think again. Divide and conquer, or let us make sure “They” stay down is real. Please do not fall for it, yes crime against anyone is unacceptable. Pero, it should not matter what color the perpetrator is. If you want to highlight heinous crimes committed by people in our country look at serial killers, I think we all know who wins that dishonor. If you’re going to go back to the days when people of color were hanged regularly for mostly imagined crimes, “Well, I guess you get it.” That said, I genuinely believe this is a time in our countries history where we can grow; what counts is what we do from now on. 

It is a time of renewal not only for Americans but for humanity itself. And as with most change, it can be a little messy and uncomfortable for some people. I recently engaged in conversations with a diverse group working on a police oversight committee to start up. This group includes retired police officers, a former mayor, a pastor, and community activists (If this weren’t such a serious subject, there would be a joke here). And while we all have our own experiences with law enforcement and some have real discrimination war stories to tell, we are working well together. The key here is honesty and allowing conversations without judgment. This project requires a genuine time commitment, and will it turn out exactly how we want? Hopefully, but either way, these conversations must happen. If not, now, when?