I just returned from a walk outside the White House in Washington DC on a hot summer day in August. As I passed by the White House, I reflected on the current national discourse in the United States and elsewhere regarding the aftermath of the clash in Charlottesville, Virginia. For those just joining us from their mobile devices and Whatsapp groups, a few weeks ago, White supremacists and other neo-nazi groups marched in Charlottesville against plans by the city to bring down one of the statue of Robert E. Lee. Robert E. Lee was a confederate Army General from America's south who fought for segregation and slavery.
During the march, a white supremacist drove his vehicle into the line of counter protesters resulting the death of one American woman. Three other Virginia police officers where killed in a related Helicopter crash.
My reflection took me back to my own personal experiences with race in America. Firstly, As a young officer candidate in the New State Military Academy, one of the Instructors told me openly that "if this was the US Army of old, there is no way we will commission you!". I am not sure the basis for this and I can not remember what led to this. And I remember this encounter made me more committed to graduating and ended up as the distinguished Academic Honor Graduate.
Secondly, as a New York Army National Guardsman supporting the then Presidential War in Drugs, I was posted to support the US Marshals Office in Syracuse, New York and I remember reporting for my first duty and the Field Officer in Charge of the office said, "I thought you were White". I quickly responded that we have several white support people and will be glad to request for a substitute.
Thirdly, as a non-commissioned officer (this was before I got into the Empire State Academy), I returned from the US Army Chemical School to my unit at the 10th Mountain Division in Syracuse (Active Duty unit was in Fort Drum, Watertown). I remember my recruiter said "we are overjoyed that you passed AIT (Advanced Individual Training) because a lot of our black folks did not succeed in the past".
So an African who studied and worked in the US, the whole Charlottesville episode is another reminder that the forces and symbols that communicate that we are either not good enough or should not be here are real. My walk by the White House today made me think more deeply about my own experiences.
This past few weeks, my family is here with me on vacation. We vacation to a number of places but The US still holds the possibility and hope it offers everyone from every nation, Charlottesville not withstanding.
To those who will march with torches, please know that the greatness of America is in our differences. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman who at the time of writing is concluding a trip to the Middle East as guest of the US Air force writes in a beautiful piece a couple of weeks ago "I look around me and see our Air Force chief, who is of Eastern European Jewish descent, reporting to a woman Air Force secretary, who was among the early women graduates of the Air Force Academy and whose senior aide is an African-American woman lieutenant colonel. The base commander here in Qatar, overseeing the whole air war, is of Armenian descent, and his top deputy is of Lebanese descent"
My long time friend and best man at my wedding Victor Edozien, though an American citizen of Nigerian descent, came to the US and got his education in Engineering and Business and today is majority owner of one of America's largest manufacturing companies.
And these stories are what make US truly great not great again. The US is great not because of military might or the size of the economy. America is great because of its capacity to open its doors to people of all races and creed. And that is principle that torch bearers of Charlottesville need to understand.
We can counter protest and we should. However, our greatest weapon against hate and bigotry is love. The love, to reach out to the torch bearers of Charlottesville to engage in civil discourse about the American promise and what we can all do to make it accessible to all.
