College Matters: I am a Black man: Your neighbor

This article was originally posted in the College Matters column of the Times-Standard.

Thursday, June 11, 2020 - 8:30pm

What would cause a person who has sworn to protect others, carelessly, inhumanely, illegally, and uncaringly restrain a person to their death? What would cause a society, our society, to tolerate centuries of injustice? I can’t stop asking these questions, and I know many of you can’t either.

In Humboldt, we are generally surrounded by good people. From those families that have called this area home for five generations or longer to those new to this area like me. We are surrounded by good people. Yet those moments that cause us harm or cause us pain still find their way into our lives.

George Floyd was murdered by an officer with other officers watching. I acknowledge he was not murdered by a police force or all police officers. He was murdered by a single police officer while others (bystanders) who could have and should have helped, did not. This hurts, and will always hurt. This is reflective of the systematic racism that has allowed these incidents to go on in our society for hundreds of years. It is well past the time for it to stop.

I want to share with you that each day, I wonder if some injustice will occur to me. While I certainly lead an amazing University, when I am walking in the morning, working, shopping, driving, and other things people do – I am still a Black man. When will I again have to defend myself for being Black and walking for exercise in my neighborhood or shopping in a store? When that day again comes I will have to explain I was just out for a walk. Which person of privilege will come to my defense?  Who, in privilege, will take the strong stance and say in this community we will not tolerate this any longer and what specific steps will be taken? Who will say we are better than this? Who will put their reputation and their privilege on the line to take on this social injustice, racial injustice, and say what must be said and do what must be done?

I am also a parent. Each day I wake up I wonder if my 22 year-old son will meet the horror — the blatant disregard of Black life in his future. He is young. He is a person of these times. Between his love for the outdoors, long dreadlocks, tattoos, and free spirit, he is just one encounter away from one person who could chokehold him, call him out for walking in his own neighborhood or throw hateful words at him. Who, of privilege, will put their reputation on the line to fight this fight for him?

We are all activists. Some of us march. Some of us teach. Some minister or preach. Some heal. Some are bankers helping others. Some are counselors. Some are electricians, plumbers, and many other tradespeople. I am a teacher. An educator. My job today is to empower many to guide and teach others, so they can guide and teach others, and on and on. It is not to pass judgment, but to empower others to reflect and to learn from their lessons or mistakes — in part to help make a stronger and compassionate society. I certainly respect the right of all people to express their points of view. In fact, we teach exactly that. There is also the time that specific steps must be taken by all within the community.

Human life is precious. As a community, and as a campus, we stand for many things greater than ourselves. Diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, free will, adventure, independence, speech, the environment, and so much more. This bonds us as an HSU Family of Lumberjacks and as a North Coast community. From the foundations created in this region generations ago, to the hundreds of hopeful new graduates out to lead our future society, we are blessed and fortunate to live in a place, and to be a part of a community that truly wants better for our children. But again, as we strive toward needed changes, who will put their reputational privilege on the line?

I am Thomas the 4th. I am the 4th “Thomas” to be called free. My son is the 5th. That is five generations and we are still fighting this same fight.

It is not unusual to weekly receive mail or comments from someone telling me how to be Black. This is nearly always from someone who is not Black and often from someone passing judgment upon others. If not rude, it certainly could be insulting, arrogant, privileged, mean spirited, or adolescent. Growing up I would watch on TV the riots and protests of the ’60s. The youth of that time swore they would solve these injustices. They said they would fix it. They said this was unjust and we will fight the “man.” Today, those youth are “the man.” The youthful 60- and 70-somethings did not fix it. It is still here. What got in the way of a generation so passionate about a cause that they were unable to see it to its end?

Black lives matter. I have a pen, a University, this newspaper column, and words. I am a Black man. I am your neighbor, a person who has chosen to live here, maybe even your friend, and I am asking you to help solve this once and for all so in my lifetime, our generation, we can see these injustices end.

Dr. Tom Jackson, Jr. is the president of Humboldt State University.