How race still matters

Our national race problem bubbled to the surface following the painful tragedy in Charleston where nine people lost their lives at the hands of a lone gunman. The white shooter made it clear he went to Emanuel AME Church to kill people who were black. Race mattered.

In the following days, the Confederate battle flag that has flown on the South Carolina Capitol grounds and on government property in other Southern states has again been pointed to as, quite literally, a prominent symbol of racism in America. Proponents of flying this emblem of a civil war that ended 150 years ago dismiss the flag's racist symbolism and claim the stars and bars has more to do with heritage than hate. No amount of word twisting can wipe the blood and hatred from a standard that has been carried by men in white robes and worn proudly by so many who acted on hate, as did the evil killer in Charleston. Race mattered.

On June 18 the Wall Street Journal urged readers to not overemphasize race in the killings in Charleston, arguing that the crazed murderer acted alone. The Journal quoted President Barack Obama's reference to remarks made by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. regarding the September 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. that killed four black girls. But, while the editorial acknowledged the reference was appropriate, it crossed a line with, "today the system and philosophy of institutionalized racism identified by Dr. King no longer exists." Tell that to the families of the victims in Charleston gunned down by a man comforted by a fetid portion of our country that swaddled him in the hatred of others. Race mattered.

As with many American tragedies, much good has sprouted in the wake of nine moving going-home celebrations that did not have to happen so soon. The tears have slowed. And, we Americans have, at least for the moment, felt a little more willing to address our national racial divide.

My daughter is serious about her pursuit of dance, so it is understandable why Misty Copeland is a big deal in our house and why the next thing I bring up was something to be celebrated. On Tuesday, Copeland became the first African-American woman to be named a principal in the 75-year history of the American Ballet Theater. There are some who will say we should applaud Copeland because she earned this spot as a dancer, not because of her skin color — Misty Copeland, they will say, is an exquisite dancer who "happens to be black." It might be easy for a white person such as I to say such a thing, but I doubt a person of color sees it that way. Race mattered.

Copeland has overcome many obstacles. She articulates well what it took to overcome each thing that "happened" to her. At a news conference this week she said: "I had moments of doubting myself, and wanting to quit, because I didn't know that there would be a future for an African-American woman to make it to this level. At the same time, it made me so hungry to push through, to carry the next generation. So it's not me up here — and I'm constantly saying that — it's everyone that came before me that got me to this position."

Copeland's race matters to her and it should to the rest of us because she became the first of her race to achieve this remarkable honor. Let's hope race won't matter for those children inspired to follow the great Misty Copeland. But, today, sadly it still does.

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This entry was first published in the print edition of the Des Moines Register. 
Graham Gillette can be reached at grahamgillette@gmail.com