This is not a story about the weather. We all know the effect of climate change and its
impact on our daily lives – felt coast to coast and around the world. A south Pacific hurricane reached the southern California shoreline in 2023, searing temperatures scorched regions of the world as if ignited by a giant blow torch, and wildfires burned fields and hillsides now parched from a record-breaking drought.
Climate change is happening exactly as science experts predicted. I wonder if anyone forecasted the change in the racial climate in America? This storm has been developing steadily for several years. We have evidence of its existence in every region of this great land of ours. And just like the weather, these storms appear to be growing in intensity, similar to the political and social storms of the 1950s and 1960s.
So many events and situations of the past remain very clear in my mind. As a ten-year-old, I recall how my parents, along with relatives and friends, gathered in the dining room, arguing the merits and effects of recently passed federal legislation. There were many doubters among those adults. Why wouldn’t they be skeptical? They had lived through decades of no change in unfair treatment – because it was lawful. Jim Crow was alive and well where they came from. Those laws barred Black Americans from classrooms, bathrooms, train cars, bus seats, theaters, restaurants, juries, and jobs. Soon, the winds of change arrived, prompting a response that few could have predicted.
As I transitioned into my teenage years, there were a number of proud moments I recall. One such landmark event occurred on July 2, 1964, just fifty-nine years ago. On that date, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. During the ceremony, the President declared that “Americans of every race and color have died in battle to protect our freedom. Americans of every race and color have worked to build a nation of widening opportunities. Now our generation of Americans has been called on to continue the unending search for justice within our own borders. We believe that all men are created equal. Yet many are denied equal treatment.”
All of a sudden, hope appeared on the horizon. What I didn’t fully comprehend was how quickly the racial climate could change with the stroke of a pen. Indeed, some folks in America were now optimistic about positive changes about to take place. Sadly, others in America were incensed that persons of color would now have legal access to the same rights and privileges they had known for centuries.
When we fast forward to 2023, the opportunity to look back and to look ahead offers a frightening forecast. Of course, my parents, older brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins are long gone. The older generation gave so much and received so little during their lifetime. I’m unable to consult with them for guidance and for a historical reference. I can, however, act on their behalf and speak to the younger generation of my family. Acting on their behalf is inspiring – and it’s the least I can do.
As African Americans and our allies develop strategies to confront the deteriorating racial climate in America, we find ourselves faced with mass shootings in Black communities (at grocery stores, HBCUs, etc.), ongoing police brutality, voting district gerrymandering, and new legislation designed to whitewash Black American history. Unless positive action is taken now, the pending storm has the potential to become the most demonstrative in the history of our great nation.
Collectively, we still have an opportunity to combat the negative change in the racial climate before we lose all hope. We can listen carefully to one another, and we can recognize that we are stronger when we hear our unified voices, feel our common pains, and respect our human differences. These steps of solidarity are crucial for our survival.
It makes sense to work toward defining how our new world should look, feel, and sound. It’s the only world we have – and this is our only lifetime.
I believe in climate change. I think we -- acting together -- can stem the tide even though it’s never been done.
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