When black people talk amongst themselves about the rampant and indiscriminate crime that plagues their communities, there’s no soft-pedaling, or denying the gut-wrenching truth. As we reckon, decade after decade, the devastation of black-on-black violence that decimates our communities seems only to worsen, yet for those who understand the genesis of the problem, it is not mind-boggling, but infuriating.
Despite what some individuals believe, our voices are not monolithic. The truth is that, like any other ethnic group, we assess problems and solutions differently and often disagree, and, for those individuals who believe otherwise, black people realize that violence is unique to our communities. But, we know that our dilemma is a direct result of the cruel and lustful concept of the founding fathers, dating to the first enslaved Africans arriving on the North American continent in the early 1500s. So, anyone shocked by the resulting self-hatred that exists centuries later, should be among the first to champion critical race theory’s value.
Interestingly, the theme of Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning production, “A Soldier’s Play,” offers what some feel explains our predicament in contemporary black urban society. The play is praised for its powerful depiction of the experiences of black soldiers and its commentary relevance on how institutionalized racism and white supremacy impact the lives of African Americans.
The 1991 film version is set on a Louisiana army base in 1944 when there was still a segregated army, and it reflects the range of prevailing attitudes in the modern black ethos. It stars Adolph Caesar as Army Sergeant Vernon Waters and Denzel Washington as private first class Peterson, whose contrasting feelings about racial progress illustrate the varied viewpoints of race in America.
Waters’ character is obsessed with what he sees as his responsibility to protect and ensure the integrity and dignity of the future of the African American race. At one point, Sergeant Waters said after arresting a black soldier for some minor infraction, “One less fool for the race to be ashamed of.” To which an infuriated PFC. Peterson, played by Denzel Washington, asks Waters, “What kind of colored man are you?” To which Waters responds, “I’m a soldier, Peterson. And the kind of colored man that don’t like lazy, shiftless, Negroes.”
The dialogue illustrates the interracial turmoil and the degree to which blacks are torn and seemingly without solutions to neutralize the effects of bondage so brutal that four centuries later, it survives.
Something that the late, great, activist and performer, Harry Belafonte said goes directly to the problem. In 1998, Belafonte told the PBS News Hour, “I think anyone who is African American is born into a set of circumstances that are huge and extremely difficult to live in. So, all of us are forced to find ways and methodologies to survive and overcome those conditions.”
As for me, I believe that through the long struggle to overcome the sinister-racist-system designed for durability, we must make room for Waters’ raw truth, while allowing for PFC Peterson’s understanding and compassion.
Anthony Stanford is a columnist, publicist, and author of the book, “Copping Out the Consequence of Police Corruption and Misconduct.”