This had to happen | Part 2

OPINION

A former Military Police Chief; who from scratch built and commanded the first Reserve Security Forces unit in Air Force Space Command history; whose troops were among the first to deploy to the Afghanistan conflict; who inherited several bad cops that I eventually dismissed, enduring slander, lies and several empty Congressional inquiries; who, during the time commanding this unit, was pulled over for not signaling a lane change on an empty road, while driving a top-down convertible and wearing gym gear, with a few gold chains around my neck.

The officer who ordered military helicopters into New Orleans to rescue Americans trapped on their rooftops during Hurricane Katrina.

A current Badge Carrying Federal Investigator in a civil rights office, who, despite having been ethnically demeaned on a voice message, remained objective in pursuit of truth.

An award winning Diversity Director, leading my office to “Best in Air Force Reserve” and nationally named #1 Company Grade Diversity Officer.

The son of a Pentecostal Holiness Pastor, who is not my father, but my mother.

The grandson of a local Civil Rights leader, whose grandmother taught Black voters how to pass poll tests and who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A proud American, who served this country for 40 years, 30 of which were in uniform.

I Know… Were it not for good White people in my suburban neighborhood who stood with me when most needed. I may not be here today.

Were it not for holding the nuclear keys, the Berlin wall would remain.

Were it not for a few good White senior military leaders who understood my dilemma as a Military Police Chief, my career would have ended prematurely.

Were it not for taking swift action to rescue Americans from their rooftops, many would have surely perished.

Were it not for the many good people in civil service leadership, I would have little outlet to express how I feel.

Were it not for the recognition of leading the Air Force Reserve’s #1 diversity office, our entire base would have been rated less than Satisfactory by the Inspector General’s office.

Were it not for a mother who is also a pastor, I may not have learned to truly distinguish right from wrong.

Were it not for a grandmother teaching Black people how to pass poll tests so they could legally vote, I would not understand the concept of total sacrifice to a cause larger than myself.

Were it not for a country providing a pathway to success, I would not be the proud American I am today.

And So, I Have Something to Say…

Since George Floyd’s murder, I have been asked many things. I have been asked why it happened. I have been asked how I feel. Others have asked how they can best help. I love and appreciate these questions and requests, for not so very long ago most would have been afraid to ask, and more afraid to get involved.

Why?

I don’t know why this murder happened, but back to my first point, I know it had to happen.

This murder had to happen, however horrific, to create a seminal moment exposing generations of perpetual and systemic wrongs cast upon our Black community, wrongs also perpetuated upon other brothers and sisters of color.

This murder is the Bull Conner moment of having police release attack dogs and turning fire hoses on Black people he governed in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s…people marching in peaceful protest, including marching in protest of the KKK bombing deaths of four young innocent Black girls in a Birmingham church.

So, we finally have the attention of the nation, and the attention of the world…and this is the price we’ve had to pay for it…thus far…so let’s remember Abraham Lincoln’s remarks in the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, August 21, 1858, “With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. Consequently, he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions.”

How I Feel…

I cry silently from time to time. I continue to cry for the families of the slain. I will continue the battle of my ancestors.

How Can You Best Help?

Listen, engage, and believe in Black Americans and Black America. We, as Black Americans, are individuals. Black America is the world in which we live. You cannot help one without helping the other. “America must listen to its wounds. It will tell us where to look for hope.” Reverend William Barber

Listen with empathy, not sympathy. Listen with intent to understand. Be mindful that our words may not roll off our tongues in a way you are accustomed to.

Engage now; perfection is not the goal, movement is.

Believe what we have to say, especially believe Black men when traditional White society is tempted to believe otherwise.

Create safe havens. Understand this is a unique time in history to make demands for permanent change.

Please know that your silence is complicit.

Fight for full economic equality for all Americans. The playing field is not level. Help to level it. Fight for equal opportunity, and don’t confuse this with equal outcomes. Remember, according to Nelson Mandela, “It’s the oppressor who defines the nature of the struggle.”

Reform our police departments. Believe Black Americans when we say systemic policing problems exist. Having been one, police chiefs know specifically who and where their problems lie. Remove chiefs not committed to change. Commit to removing them now. Support and fully empower those who do.

There’s much, much more, but I trust you get the picture. So, In Conclusion… I think of my time in South Africa as an Air War College student in 2002. The thesis of my research project centered on the post-Apartheid decade since 1992. I sat next to a White South African businessman on a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town and asked his thoughts on their reforms. I shared my amazement with how far their nation had come in such a short time. He said they had to come together, or they would not have a nation. I asked him how. He said, “Truth and Reconciliation.” Google it. After 400+ years of pain, America still lacks Truth and Reconciliation. It is time we have it now.

“I had come to see early that the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to an oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1958

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