“What is your opinion of the #BlackLivesMatter and George Floyd protests?” a follower asked, rhetorically. “You’re not commenting on your blog or publicly on social media.”
The question recognized that I have commented on the protests following George Floyd’s death on social media, but with posts limited to friends and colleagues who work within political rhetoric. Some of my friends are primarily scholars, while others work directly with political parties and political organizations.
As a white male scholar, commenting on the rhetorical choices of protestors poses a quandary. Do I comment, as a scholar familiar with history and past outcomes, or do I remain publicly silent out of respect for the communities most directly involved in this moment?
I thought it best to take a “middle path” and wait to comment, out of respect for my Black / African-American colleagues who are the experts on both the ethnographic research and historical analyses. I am not an expert on race or law enforcement, and it is important not to pretend to be an expert outside my little niches.
Prodding me, the social media follower noted I am published in the areas of design, technology, and economics. Aren’t all three involved in the current protests? Basically, the accusatory tone was “What are you afraid of? Revealing your privilege?” Maybe I was reading too much into the exchange; still, it seems wise to assume random followers might be “trolling” for a response.
Now that we’re 19 days into the George Floyd protests (and years into Black Lives Matter), I will toss caution to the wind and respond as best a middle-class white male can:
Read someone else. Read any number of Black / African-American sources. My choices reflect my biases, not any particular expertise:
- Ta-Nehisi Coates: The best contemporary voice, read anything Coates has written. Actually, read all you can.
- Langston Hughes: One of my favorite writers, period, Langston Hughes’ works feel like they were written in the last month.
- Toni Morrison: I have told students and fellow writers, the perfect American novel is Sula.
- Ibram X. Kendi: An essential perspective on racism in the United States, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.
Book lists are circulating about the Internet, so locating more authors isn’t a challenge. Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and many others deserve a mention.
I have a scholarly based opinion on the likely outcomes of some protest strategies and slogans, but those don’t matter at this time. Yes, I worry that actions and slogans might be counterproductive, but that’s not my call to make.
The best thing we can do right now is listen to each other and start to make changes, significant changes, to our legal system and law enforcement practices.
In rhetoric, we teach that you should analyze the audience. We also know that carefully considering data about an audience isn’t easy under emotional duress and nearly impossible under physical threat.
Time to sit back and listen, scholars and students. If you have suggestions for politicians or organizations, make those quietly and respectfully. Keep the public focus on the need for change. If my colleagues and friends ask, I will offer my analyses of the rhetorical choices and strategies in private. Not here. Not yet.