I don't know who Meghan Kelly is; "Fox talking head" or "Tamron Hall Replacement" are sufficient for me. She's another white person who, in 2018, championed the use of blackface and lost her job because of it. Increasing numbers of white folk attribute this to "political correctness," or "black folk making everything about race," or other catchphrases which show they either don't know or don't care why this is such an egregious offense. The following incident came to mind.
A dear, dear friend is Catholic. I don't know that they attend Mass regularly; if asked they would likely term themselves more spiritual than religious, but the religious tradition in which they were raised is important to them. I was visiting them once, and, attempting to bring levity into a stressful situation, told them an old church joke. It's the one where St. Peter is welcoming a new person into heaven, and they pass by rooms full of different denominations or faith traditions. Depending on who your audience is, you choose the tradition about whom you will deliver the punchline, "Shh... they think they're the only ones here." I've told this joke using Christians, Baptists, and Pentecostals as the group who thinks they're the only one; with my friend, I chose to make it about Catholics.
My. Friend. Exploded. They took offense, accused me of badmouthing their tradition, a noisy argument ensued, and we probably stopped speaking for several hours. We're friends and we resolved it, but I was acutely aware that, even though my friend's tradition did not fully accept my Protestant ordination, I could not even make a friendly joke about their tradition.
The stress of the moment, my friend's sensitivity, and their history of growing up as a Catholic minority all contributed to their having taken umbrage at a simple joke. They saw it as an attack, and it was only when I was able to put myself in their situation that I was able to understand why they felt so strongly.
Similar dynamics are at work in America today. Blackface has historically been used to degrade and demean people of color. There is an ugly history behind it, and to use or advocate its use reflects tone deafness at best; in the worst case, it reflects someone who is unwilling or unable to empathize with people who have different experiences, specifically the ugly history of objectifying black people in America. While I think Meghan Kelly was likely terminated because she is not consistent with the ethos of the network that fired her, I also think that a journalist's inability to look at the world around them without imposing upon it the filter of their own personal experience is a factor. That Meghan Kelly grew up in an environment where blackface was tolerated is not something to be considered normative, but reflects a background that does not include tolerance of other cultures. That she somehow thought such a background justified the use of blackface in 2018 shows a lack of objectivity that is not consistent with being a professional journalist.
Many white people in America live in the realization of the best of American ideals: a land of opportunity where everyone is equal and everyone who works hard gets ahead. They even elected a person of color as President for two terms, which, they apparently believe, is proof that this country has no problems that some discipline and a return to our religious roots won't solve.
Problem is, that picture is a reality only for white folk. I've stopped counting the numbers of black and brown people who hold advanced degrees but do menial labor because they can't get a foot in the door; conversely, I know a number of white males who would probably have difficulty navigating the NYC subway system alone, but who have the right name or the right connections and so have never had to do so. There are lots of people in between those two extremes, of course; my point is that people's lived realities are quite different. What I see in America is a lack of engagement. We don't take the time to know people who are different from us, and are content to live with our stereotypical visions of them.
I'm a case in point: a few years ago I matriculated into the Ph.D program of a very conservative Christian school. I dreaded my first stay on campus, having decided that all conservative Christians were hypocritical bumpkins intent on prostituting the Gospel to forward their notions of white supremacy. Clear that my sole purpose there pursuit of my degree, I tried not to engage. Thankfully, God had a different plan, and the last few years have afforded me the privilege of meeting some wonderful human beings whose passion for Christ is reflected in every aspect of their lives. We often have widely divergent views on political and social issues, sort of like the widely divergent theological views that have led to the creation of our various denominations. Many (not all, but many) of us have created safe spaces in which we can share and exchange those points of view, and it was in those safe spaces where I began to see the humanity in my conservative evangelical Christian siblings, many of whom have spent more time with Africans in Africa than with members of the African diaspora in America. And while I'm not about to be a token nor a spokesperson for progressive urban Christians of color, I am a reminder that "liberal" is not a dirty word but a descriptor of someone they love and respect. For some of them, I am the only embodiment of "liberal" they know.
There is so much work yet to be done, and it doesn't start with rhetoric and vitriol. It starts with a willingness to see human beings rather than stereotypes, and to recognize the Imago Dei, the Image of God, in every human being.
There's no profound point here, other than I need to write more.
