Last year Weber State University hosted a series of community conversations on race. I forget which of the seemingly regular disastrous racist incidents sparked it -- black people being shot by police happens a LOT -- and it probably doesn't matter.
The point is, to get the problem of racism out in the open. And, yes there is a lot: A discussion on my facebook page by a former Ogden councilman, and a current one, and several others, is eye-opening in its bluntness. I will quote them farther down, so bear with me here.
So, despite these panels, we have a long way to go.
One of the speakers on the panel last year was Ogden's assistant chief of police who said, very simply, that when his officers are approaching a situation "they don't see black or white," or words to that effect. Race, he said bluntly, was never ever a consideration.
I was sitting alongside almost the entire sociology faculty of WSU. Sociologists, you should know, study why people do what they do, and why they think what they think, and can talk for hours about how a person who is brought up a certain way is pretty much hard-wired to think that way, unconsciously, without intent, it is just the way the world is.
(And I freely admit that, as a mere journalist, there's a lot to the phenomenon of being socialized that I don't understand. Take a course in sociology from one of the several fine faculty there to learn more.)
And in American culture, of course, we are all brought up to think of the different races is some pretty stereotyped ways. I was, you were, so was everyone else. It is who we are and to say Ogden's police are immune from this?
Well, the eye rolling from the sociologists -- one of whom is my wife -- was almost audible.
And this is not to say OPD's finest are racist. I refuse to believe they are. However, if because of how they were brought up in America means that, in their minds, a person of color is slightly more suspect, or even just slightly more capable of being suspect, than one who is white ... well, there you are.
We keep seeing daily reminders that race is a factor: As I type these the Starbucks coffee chain is preparing to shut down 8,000 outlets for a day to have training on racial awareness. A couple of black men entered a shop, asked to use the rest room, were denied because they hadn't bought anything, stuck around and refused to leave, saying they were waiting for a friend.
The manager called the cops. I guess a fair question is, would he have called the cops if two white guys came in and sat down, calmly waiting for a friend? Apparently not, because the CEO has personally apologized to the two (who were polite through the whole affair).
And I guess I have to wonder why the cops arrested them. Why not come in, look around, tell the manager "you called us for this?" and leave again.
Again, what if they were white?
I recently linked a story on Facebook about another incident: a 14-year-old kid in Michigan slept in, missed his bus, got lost and knocked on a door to ask how to get to his school.
The kid is black. The door was opened by a white woman who screamed at him, accusing him of trying to break in. Then her husband ran up with a shotgun and opened fire. The kid was not killed only through luck.
Who told the truth? Well, the homeowners have surveillance video and everyone -- Mayor, Sheriff, everyone else -- says the kid was just asking directions.
The post brought a lot of interesting comment, including this from one friend:
"It’s a sad commentary that most white Americans, don’t or won’t see. My first marriage was to a Native American. And my beautiful beautiful mixed race children have been stopped and harassed by the police on so many occasions here in Northern Utah, it’s funny/not-funny. We just call the crime “Walking while brown.'"
That comment reminded me of a conversation I had two years ago working on the campaign of Luis Lopez, who was elected to the Ogden City Council.
While strategizing house-to-house campaigning, we were warned by former City Councilman Jesse Garcia to be careful. Right here in Ogden, he said, a person of color walking door-to-door in neighborhoods east of Harrison Boulevard will get the cops called.
My reaction was "Really? No!" But he said yes. They will call the cops.
Our host, Eulogio Alajandre, whose house is - yes - east of Harrison, said definitely yes. Hispanics aren't seen, by many, as belonging east of Harrison. He's been working in his own front yard, he said, and had white people drive by, stop, and ask if they could hire him to do their yard too.
Jesse added a comment on Facebook too:
"Charles I remember that discussion and just wanted to prepare you and Luis for the negative encounters . I could write a lot about negative or racist encounters for the last 60 plus years .
"For example the first time my canvassing team walked through east of Ogden. Plenty of stares no real comments but an officer drove by slowly. He said 'Oh councilman it's you.' I responded "some of those people walking in the neighborhood, huh?'
"He smiled shook his and drove off. That same campaign while at our headquarters on 12th and Monroe, some of my volunteers were yelled at with racial remarks along with go back where you came from.
"My years on the council were pretty rough with racist calls throughout my 16 years to many to mention . My children were also targeted by one of our police officers who stated 'I don't care who your dad is if you do anything wrong I'll be watching you.'
"My years in Junior high and high school were no different. Almost on a weekly basis I would hear you should go back to working the fields because you will never amount to anything.
"I feel hurt and angry about the atrocities against the community of color. It is my belief that these actions are much more overt now because they seem to be sanctioned by too many of our national leaders. Our media doesn't help much either. Better stop now becoming a bit upset. Trying to keep those bad memories tucked away but it is not easy."
Luis Lopez, who won that election, said he remembered that conversation, and walking the neighborhood with me, very well because of one guy who opened the door in particular.
"I remember walking the neighborhood and encountering the guy with the gun on his hip....I was actually pretty nervous...I kept thinking I wanted to leave his yard and wanted nothing to do with him."
Yeah, that guy was weird, and only two blocks from my house. As I recall, he was angry at Mayor Caldwell for something. But, yeah, he had a gun on his hip. It looked as if that was his normal dress around the house.
Lus said "I have been the subject of many racial aggressions in my 21 years living in the USA. 1) adjunct professor from WSU told me and a group of friends while in the elevator we should not speak Spanish in public.
"2) When I used to be an HVAC installer, former boss told me not to bother wanting to start a business claiming I would never do well because people don't trust Mexicans.
"3) UHP trooper pulls me over on the highway (I can't even remember why) and asked if my social security number is legal.
"4) I told a woman I worked at a Middle school and she responds "are you a janitor?".
"5) Man calls me spic at work when I used to deliver roof shingles.
"6) Ogden cop pulled me over because my license plate was dangling off by one screw, asked me to get out of the car and frisked me without cause."
Luis said he's never been shot at. He said he feels "very sad for this young man and for any other human being who is subject to racial injustices and discrimination. We have to keep our head high and plow through, believing that society will change over time. If I keep improving my self and setting an example for my community, I believe this is the best contribution I can make."
Yes it is, but it will also help if police officers admit that, yes, in their minds they see people of color differently. Not with any bad intent, but just because -- only then can they say "OK this is happening in my mind, and it is wrong."
Until that happens, expect more of the same.
And if you don't believe it, go find a Hispanic friend and take a walk east of Harrison Boulevard, right here in beautiful Ogden.
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