Racism Rears Its Head in Alpharetta, Georgia

Racist Graffiti on Woman's House in Alpharetta, Georgia

My family and I relocated from New York City to the quaint town of Alpharetta, located in the prestigious North Fulton county in the summer of 1999. The population, while predominantly Caucasian, interspersed with African Americans, Asians, Hispanics and others, has always been diverse. I have never been made to feel that the color of my skin was, in some way, a deterrent to living the American dream, in the Deep South. My children have many white friends and we co-exist in the city in peace. I would not give up my life in Alpharetta for anything. I quite frequently brag about my city to anyone who will listen. The quality of life is second to none and the schools are excellent, unemployment and crime rates low. Alpharetta and Milton County, which was the original county seat, can trace their history to the time of the resettlement of the Cherokee Indian Nation in the 1830's. First, drawn by the promise of free Indian lands, a few somewhat itinerant setters moved into the area. These first pioneers were soon followed by permanent farmers and merchants who were the fortunate winners of the land lotteries of the early 1830's. Today, it is home to many of Atlanta's affluent and powerful, with its many country clubs and golf courses. Naturally, I was surprised to see on the local news that an African American woman residing in Alpharetta was the victim of racist graffiti painted on her home twice in one week.

The Alpharetta mother said that the latest markings on her home included the "N" word. She said that the trouble started six weeks ago, but gained steam last Monday when a brick came flying through one of her windows. She called police for the fourth time because she thought someone was trying to break into her home through the garage. While no one was physically hurt, the incidents are no less unsettling. It seems as though we have taken a few steps back in terms of racial tolerance in the United States. There has been one incident after the other. The Jena Six incident brings to light a very sinister and dangerous reality that we have not come as far as Martin Luther King Jr. had envisioned for us in many ways. Immediately on the heels of that incident have come numerous occurrences of racist behavior, including nooses in several cities, including Alexandria, a town close to Jena. As African Americans, we cannot sit by idly, watch the events unfold and do nothing. We must come together, as was evident in Jena, and let our voices be heard. It is also vitally paramount that we all get out and vote in all the elections. This is one of the best ways to effect change in our communities and our lives. We must take back our communities from crime and self-hatred. We have a moral responsibility to carry on the charge of the civil rights leaders who fought the good fight to get the dignity, respect and equal opportunity we deserve.

I grew up on the island of Jamaica, where it was never about the color of one's skin. I was never made to feel that, somehow, I was inferior to another race or class. I was raised to stand on my own two feet and qualify myself by getting a college education and a good paying job. I was taught that I was the only one who could limit myself and block my own blessings. The motto of Jamaica is "Out of many, one people," which is how we should view our lives in general. Out of many different races and creeds in the United States, we are one people, with common goals. I have never looked down on anyone because of the color of his or her skin. I have never liked anyone any less because of their race. While Jamaica has its share of problems such as high unemployment and crime rates, as well as an aging infrastructure, nonetheless, it was the place that molded me and taught me tolerance and respect for all people.

Racism in America is alive and well. While I do not believe that we are heading back to the days of Jim Crow, racism still lingers in the very core of America. I firmly believe that racism in the 21^st century is quite different from that of the past. This "stealth" discrimination manifests itself in many different situations. A three-year undercover investigation by the National Fair Housing Alliance has found that real estate agents steered whites away from integrated neighborhoods and steered blacks toward predominantly black neighborhoods. It can also be a factor in obtaining a job. A study by the University of Chicago has shown that candidates named Emily O'Brien or James Jones were much more likely to get calls back from potential employers than applicants named Tameka Scott and Johntravious Jackson, even though they had the same credentials.

I believe that our differences make us unique and the world special. Jena gained national notoriety as an example of this new "stealth" racism, awaking the demons of racial prejudice that was so predominant in the Deep South. Jena has gone down in infamy with cities such as Selma, Birmingham and Montgomery that played such a great role in the misery and hardship under which blacks toiled and lived. This is all so ironic in the political arena because we have an educated, decent and ambitious black man, Barak Obama running for the highest office in the United States. He is a serious contender for the White House, but one has to wonder, will the color of his skin derail his plans to be the next president. It remains to be seen if the incident in Jena or the incident with Genarlow Wilson in Georgia, who was imprisoned for having oral sex with an underage white girl, will be a campaign issue. Reverend Al Sharpton, Michael Baisden, Rolando Martin, Warren Ballentine and the new movement of civil rights activist must speak up, as should the black population in America, so that our concerns about these two cases, and others that have gone unheard, be taken seriously.

President George Bush summed it up best in a speech during his visit to Goree Island in Senegal. He said "My nation's journey toward justice has not been easy and it is not over. The racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery or with segregation. And many of the issues that still trouble America have roots in the bitter experience of other times." We have to take a deep and honest look at the roots of racism, when we were shackled and brought to the New World by barbaric men looking for a profit. We were treated as property then, scorned and hated deeply. Today there are still vestiges of that deep hatred, when people take pleasure in painting a swastika on the home of a Jewish person, or to burn a cross on an African American's lawn or to deface their property at will. America, it is time to wake up and Black America must unite and realize that our votes are valuable and cannot be bought. We should shout in one voice. We have a responsibility to leave this world a better place for our children and their children. So, for that mother in Alpharetta, Georgia and mothers all across the United States, we will stand with you in fighting the new "stealth" racism that so offer claims our children and robs them of ever reaching their potential. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight was not in vain. He said....

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."