Something Worse Than Ignorance
A Black Eyed Story
Recently during a CNN interview, presidential candidate Nikki Haley said, "We’re not a racist country… We’ve never been a racist country.” Of course there was a wave of outrage, shock, and comebacks across social media, including from yours truly. I didn’t curse or disparage Haley’s good name. What would be the point? I just simply listed as many true red-white-and-blue racist ideas and policies and historical events as I could fit into 2200 characters. I posted it. I closed my phone and went on living.
Haley’s words didn’t kill me. Piss me off? Frustrate me? Confuse me? Yes, all of the above. Here’s this daughter of Sikh Indian immigrants who was raised in the south and educated in segregation academies standing firm on her words without flinching. Her comment was so audacious that, if it weren’t so recklessly racist, I’d be in awe of her resolve.
A lot of people have called Haley’s comments out-and-out ignorant. But I don’t think she’s ignorant. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or information or understanding. Haley has assured us that in South Carolina where she grew up, “literally in second and third grade, you learn about slavery.” Plus she assured us that she had Black friends. So she’s far from ignorant.