A PANDEMIC WITHIN A PANDEMIC: COVID-19 SPREADS WITHIN RACISM By Rev. Dr. Tim Ahrens A pandemic is “a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world.” Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.” Racism is a pandemic in the United States of America. It is a social disease that is prevalent across our entire nation, touching all 50 states. Like the plague or AIDS or COVID-19, Racism has been with us for over 400 years. Racism is imbedded in the cellular structure of white Americans since its arrival on our shores in August 1619 in its nascent viral form of white men selling “20 and odd Negroes” from the slave ship White Lion to colonists at Point Comfort, Virginia. Like every pandemic, Racism started small. Primarily found in the southern states on plantations with slaves doing the agricultural work for White families, Racism could not be contained. The pandemic of Racism spread like wildfire across the Americas. Books were written, myths created and lies were established as truths to undergird and validate the disease. Little was done to stop its spread. This pandemic found receptors in every hamlet, town and city across our land. It spread from south to north, from east to west. In its most virulent form, this pandemic led White people to beat, cheat, lynch and assassinate African-Americans who seemed strong and healthy. The Racism virus caused White people to crush Black and Brown people from embryo to grave. When in full fevered form, it would bring the slaughter of hundreds of black children, women and men in the most heinous and hateful ways. Racism is a powerful, dreadful and evil disease. All White people are carriers of Racism. Those who have carried the worst form of Racism for the most generations, cannot see it. They cannot acknowledge they are sick. They cannot name Racism’s existence within their bodies, their families and their communities. They never seek treatment. Their toxic behaviors spread the disease to the next generation. They act out in conscious and subconscious ways against people of color to destroy them individually and collectively. Those who carry less invasive forms of the disease refer to others as “the bad apples” and “those people.” They point to the problems “on the left and on the right” in other White, Black and Brown people. They live in denial. They use the language of judgment.
of Racism. We need a national season of Repentance. White people and anyone who has benefited from privileges afforded white America must confess our sins against every Black and Brown person who has been and “I must confess that over the past few years still is affected by Racism. That would be I have been gravely disappointed with the anyone with DNA that connects them to the white moderate. I have almost reached the original sin of America. regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom After Repentance comes Reparations. We is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku need to right this wrong beginning now. We Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who need free pre-natal care for all women of is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; color carrying babies. We need free health who prefers a negative peace which is the care which works for every minority person absence of tension to a positive peace which and family in America. We need Head Start is the presence of justice.” infused with billions of new dollars and the best teachers to raise this new generation In his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, with the best possible educational start. We King went on to criticize white moderates. He said that a white moderate is someone need public education from grades K-12 that “who constantly says: ‘I agree with you gives every Black and Brown child an equal in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree opportunity to rise and thrive throughout with your methods of direct action’; who their formative years. We need college and paternalistically believes he can set the technical trade schools completely paid for timetable for another man’s freedom.” Such all people of color – of all ages. We need a person is, according to King, someone jobs that pay a fair, working wage. We need “who lives by a mythical concept of time and housing for all people as a basic human who constantly advises the Negro to wait for right. We need to change the criminal justice system. We need police, judges, and a ‘more convenient season.’” prisons which reflect the end of the scourge Again, all white people are carriers of Racism of Racism. We need to release hundreds of in this Pandemic. Through 400 years, we have thousands of prisoners – especially Black tested and tried many vaccines to inoculate men – who have been imprisoned unjustly people from the social virus of Racism. I and are no threat at all to our society. Rather, have found only a few treatments work. they are a great asset we need to celebrate. We need to level the political playing field First, a White Person and anyone else and get rid of corporate campaign dollars afflicted with Racism must admit that they which support racist candidates and thus keep have the disease. Nothing can be done to the pandemic alive in systems of inequality. stop the pandemic of Racism until we admit This will hopefully cost our nation hundreds that it is real and we are carriers of the virus. of trillions of dollars over generations to As a white person, I have to admit that I am a come. But, in order to end Racism, we have Racist before I can begin to be treated for the to invest in reversing the Pandemic. disease. So, here I go. I am a racist. I have been trying – one-day-at-a-time – to recover I said this was a Pandemic within a Pandemic. from Racism for the last 52 years of my life. The pandemic of COVID-19 continues Some days are better than others. Every day, to devastate this nation. It particularly I wake and confess to God my sins from devastates families and communities of the affliction of this disease. I seek God’s color. If we address our first and longest forgiveness and grace. It happens one-dayspreading pandemic of Racism, that will go at-a-time. a long way toward changing behaviors and Second, meaningful and loving relationships shifting the devastation of COVID-19. Let must form between the Racist and men, us end the pandemic of Racism now. As women and children of color who are affected we do this, we will demonstrate that we are every day by Racism. The vaccine of together. Together, we can do anything – meaningful and loving relationships matters even terminate the Coronavirus COVID-19. most of all. I cannot care for someone I do not seek to know. I cannot love in theory. Rev. Dr. Tim Ahrens is the Senior Minister By the way, this part of ending the pandemic of First Congregational Church, United goes two ways. If I reach out to you and you Church of Christ in downtown Columbus. A are not honest and genuine, the vaccine fails. church known for its witness to social justice It fails each of us in different ways. But it since its birth as an abolitionist congregation in 1852. Rev. Ahrens is the fifth consecutive fails. senior minister from Yale Divinity School Third, we need Repentance and Reparations and is a lifelong member of the United for 400 years of the spread of this pandemic Church of Christ. But, for the most part, they cannot see they are carriers and spreaders of the disease. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote of these “moderate” carriers of Racism in 1963:
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The Columbus & Dayton News African American • June 2020 The Columbus African American Journal • February 2015
