Ep. 109: Why can't we all just get along?

Welcome to Hustle in Faith. This podcast is dedicated to helping you find your trail to a happier healthier you by discussing topics regarding Christianity, health & wellness, beauty & so much more! I’m your host Tosha Johnson.

This is episode 109: Why can’t we all get along?

I’m sure you have all heard and/or seen the protests that have been occurring throughout the country. In case you have been living under a rock or one of those people who doesn’t understand what all the “fuss” is about, it all boils down to racism. Since a lot of White people seem to think that racism does not exist, they are ignoring people of color attempting to share their stories so they can receive justice. This is why racism continues to exist.

I decided to create this episode and share my experiences about this racism matter. I truly believe in my heart that if the conversations I have with my students about race were had in America, we all would be living in a much different world. I’m a firm believer that much of the fear and anger we are seeing is due to the fact that people have forgotten to live and acknowledge these two simple rules:

1. God’s Golden rule (Lk 6:31): Do unto others as you would have others do unto you

2. We are all equal (Acts 17: 26-28). God made us from one bloodline.

I am sad to say, many White people do not believe in the aforementioned. In fact, please be sure to check out this video of a White cop stating that most White people are fearful of people of color. Please keep in mind that I used the word “most” White people.

I’ve been teaching English online to adults for 7 years. The conversations that I had with my students from Austria, Germany, Italy, and China are so enlightening. I’m honored to call these folks my friends (shout out to Julius, Rosario, Elena, Ali, and Chris). Special shout out to my Spanish teacher Julieth you know I love you too!

It’s so difficult for me to process my thoughts and let alone try my best to explain this to my students. My students have shown more interest in trying to learn more about the situation then the White folks I encounter on an everyday basis right here in America.

As I stated before, most White people refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem with racism. Many White people here do not want to address race because deep down it would mean that they would have to acknowledge the fact that America truly has been and still is a tale of two cities. The haves and the have nots.

White people have been on top for over 400 years because they benefited from slavery. People of color, primarily African Americans are tired of playing the “have not role”. We’re tired of not having our voices heard. The stories of Ahmad Arbery, Christian Cooper, and literally seeing George Floyd murdered right before our very eyes on the video were just too much. Ahmad for example just went for a jog and never came back home because 3 White people (Rednecks) thought he fit the description of a thief.

Christian Cooper almost lost his life because a crazy white woman named Amy Cooper was offended that Christian (a black man) had the audacity to ask her to put her dog on a leash. They were in a public park where the dogs are supposed to be on a lease. This rule is so that everyone can enjoy the park; plus, not everyone wants to be around your dog. Despite this fact, Amy Cooper was offended that Christian (a black man) had the audacity to ask her to put her dog on a leash.

Amy Cooper knew that if she called the police, they would come out and kill Christian for her. Seeking the police on people of color is a go to tactic among White people in America. They know that the police, who are comprised mostly of criminals with badges, will punish or even kill their opponents for them. This is why many White racist people do this. Case in point, George Floyd lost his life because the racist cop Derek Chauvin felt that placing his knee on George’s neck was the appropriate method to detain him.

Innocent until proven guilty is not meant for Black people. Most cops automatically assume that people of color are guilty. The crazy thing is regarding every one of those stories (which are just 3 out of thousands) is that despite having video evidence these cops go free.

The reason being is because many White people always look for a reason to justify the deaths of these Black men and women. How would you feel if you have evidence demonstrating how you were wrongfully treated and they get someone to “explain it away” and/or worse demonize you so the racist’s actions were justified?

Guys these are just three of thousands, yes, thousands of stories that are the very reason why many Black people and other people of color do not share the zeal that so many White people have for America. This is why Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the National Anthem. He wanted to use his platform and peacefully protest and bring attention to the injustices people of color, especially Black people suffer on a daily basis.

Kaepernick, LeBron James, and countless other athletes are often told by White owners of the teams that they play for, by their so-called fans and countless others to essentially, “Shut up and play,” as if they don’t have a right to express their feelings. These White fans only want Black athletes to entertain and continue to increase the revenue of White billionaires.

These are the same people that when they saw the video about Christian Cooper , a Black birdwatcher who politely asked that crazy woman Amy Cooper to put her dog on a leash, she launched into the White woman damsel in distress role. This woman clearly had years of mastering White tears.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term White tears, it’s what Black people say when we refer to White people who believe that they have been wronged by someone Black. White tears are clearly seen when a Black person points out a White person’s racist behavior and/or when someone White gets upset that someone Black is successful. Those who cry White tears often do so in order to get other White people on their side. White tears is a devious attempt to make the Black person appear to be the bad guy.

Every Black person that I know, myself included, has experienced this at some point in time in their lives. Case in point, if you read the comments in the videos the majority of the White people in the comment sections that I read were voicing more concern over how the dog was being mistreated instead of the fact that this woman deliberately was trying to get this Black man killed. These racist fools showed that the dog’s life meant more to them than the Black man.

Stories like these are why I always laugh whenever I hear someone say, “All Lives Matter.” It is sad to say, most White people have blinders on and refuse to acknowledge racism. For example, in the story regarding Christian Cooper, the Black birdwatcher, there were more comments about how this white lady was treating the dog rather than the fact that she was trying to get this man killed.

These are the same folks that say they are not a racist but yet they think more of an animal than a human being.

If White people truly believe that All Lives Matter then they shouldn’t be offended when you hear the term Black Lives Matter. I’m amazed that I even have to say this but believe it or not, Black Lives Matter is not insinuating that other lives do not.

Here are a couple of examples for you to visualize. I have to thank Dwight Johnson for this analogy because this first one is so perfect!

In the Bible, Luke 15 talks about Jesus having 100 sheep, but one goes missing.

Jesus leaves the 99 and goes after the one.

The 99 sheep: “But…what about us?” Don’t we matter?

Of course, the 99 still matter, but they are not the ones in danger.

Again, Black Lives Matter is not insinuating that other lives do not. Black lives are the one in danger.

Here’s another analogy. You have two houses. One house is on fire. Just because you water the house that’s on fire does not mean that you don’t care about the house that is not burning.

This is happening because White people are filled with fear because their White throne is being taken down. They are no longer viewed as a leader and all powerful. People of color now have a voice and a platform and are not seeking the approval of White people.

Many White people do not want to share their power and resources that they illegitimately gained from slavery (mainly Black people). Latinos and Asians have also reaped the benefits of our work and protests to gain and maintain our rights as well.

Watching the peaceful protests evolve into the looting and rioting that occurred over the weekend was painful to watch. I completely understand the anguish and anger of the protestors. Nonetheless, two wrongs do not make a right. I agree innocent Black people should not be killed by the police. I am strongly against this because that’s wrong. In such a case, we should protest. I’m all for protesting.

On the other hand, I am strongly against the looting and rioting that is going along with the protests. This behavior is uncalled for and it diminishes the lives that were lost and the message of the protest.

By the way, the destruction and devastation done by the looters and rioters that you see on the North side, where many White people live, is what it has always looked like in the South and West side where many Blacks and Latinos have lived for decades.

This affluent area of Chicago will rebound and look brand new within the next two weeks while the South and West side will continue to remain looking like war-torn countries like they always have been for years. The South and West sides look like this not due to looting and rioting, but because government officials do not care about these people.

Although I have lived a privileged life, I do understand the frustration my people are facing. My mom was one of those people. She was brought up in the projects called Cabrini Greens. For one reason or another, many times she could not go home because the police had the place on lock down. Thinking about the pain and suffering she went through brings me to tears. I know that most people are going to say, but that was black on black crime.

What most of us fail to realize is that every race has their idiots. There have been just as many white on white crimes as there have been black on black. Every race and/or ethnicity has some sort of organized crime Italians have the Mafia, Latinos have the Latin Kings, Asians have the Triad and the list goes on. However, the crimes committed by those in the Mafia that consist of White on White crime are overlooked. The news loves to amplify the negative things that people of color do. Again, every race has some folks who choose to go the criminal element route.

With this being said, racism is totally different. Racism goes across the board and includes innocent people just because they share the same skin tone. I should not be thought of as being guilty just because I have dark skin. Check out my blog because the videos on there express my viewpoints. The media and most White people want to blame people of color for anything that is wrong. They are disregarding the evidence that is being presented that most of these crimes are being committed by White Supremacists groups.

There have been several reports from across the country stating that many of the looting and rioting was too calculated. And many of the looters and rioters were NOT from Chicago. Many of the protestors have stated that White Supremacists have been infiltrating the protests in an attempt to cause trouble. I truly believe and would not be surprised if Trump and the rest of his evil minions were the masterminds behind the looting and rioting.

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot stated during one of her press conferences that the thieves were listening to the cops’ radio airwaves because the looting was too calculated. This is not typical equipment that Black people have access to. However, those crazy White supremacist militia types do have access to this equipment. Most of the blacks in these protests have problems putting food on the table. Therefore, they would not have money to buy this expensive equipment that some of the looters and rioters were using.

I wouldn’t be surprised if those crazy White supremacist broke into the stores and called the media so they could get black people on tape stealing. Those crazy White Supremacists know what button to push. They know that once others (desperate people) see that the stores are open, they would leverage this as their “opportunity” to finally get some material stuff that they normally could never afford.

Again, two wrongs don’t make a right. However, it does not help to have a racist idiot in office basically trying to instigate a civil war. Trump literally stated that the MAGA people love black people and that they were going to join the protestors. Are you kidding me? That was his slick way of telling his racist tribe to go cause trouble. Neither the Democrats nor Republicans represent the values of people of color. You can’t fight against racism when your country is led by a White Supremacist.

I am a firm believer that this fight can only be won if we as a whole are willing to allow Christ to lead us. All of which will encompass us to follow His Golden Rule.

If you’re White listening to this episode I just want to thank you for doing so. I know you’re probably feeling uncomfortable. This uncomfortable feeling that you’re experiencing is something that Black people have been dealing with all of our lives. I have always felt like a fish out of water. I’m going to be 38 in July. Trust me, I’ve definitely had my fair share of dealing with racism. I went to predominantly white grade schools and high school and was often the ONLY Black student in the room.

Needless to say, this isolation continued in college. I went to DePaul University where I was the only Black student in the classroom. I can recall when I got into a fight with my Communications teacher. I think that she had preset ideas as to how Black people were supposed to talk. To make a long story short, she wanted to fail me because I was too “polished” of a speaker (her words not mine). I didn’t fit her stereotype. It was a communication class, I should be polished!

Even after all these years, things still have not changed. I’ve shown up for interviews only for the job to magically have been filled or told that I’m not the right fit for the job even though my resume practically mirrored the job description. If I do get the job, I’m usually the only Black person on my team or in the room.

I’m glad these protests are happening. Even though I’ve grown accustomed to being comfortable with awkward situations, this is NOT normal. IT’S EXHAUSTING!

Nonetheless, I use every obstacle or injustice I have encountered as a stepping stone to make me strong and move me forward to where I am today. Despite all of the negativity I encounter, I’m still staying optimistic so that I can move forward in life. My positive outlook is due to my strong Christian upbringing and my following Christ’s Golden rule.

There are so many chapters in my life that I have left to write. I hope that you can read them one day, but that will never happen if you can’t see past my cover.

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