OPINION: Have you ever wondered how you can stand with oppressed people without being pilloried for your personal political beliefs? We got you.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Since Hamas’ despicable Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, anyone with a public-facing job has faced pressure to state their individual position on Palestine, Israel, Hamas, Islamophobia and antisemitism. If you are Black and are wondering how to navigate this complex issue without suffering any backlash, allow me to offer a few suggestions.
Why are you laughing?
My editor had the exact same response when I suggested a 1,500-word piece on this subject! Between side-eyes and guffaws, she assured me that this was an impossible task. She calculated that a nuanced article on this issue would require at least 239,493 words. However, she relented after I reminded her of one simple fact.
I’m a Black writer.
Black people in journalism, media or places where people wear neckties are rarely asked their opinions on political issues. Instead, they are asked to speak for Black people. While white journalists are never asked to explain the positions of their Caucasian community, even the most prominent Black reporters and “thought leaders” are expected to encapsulate the entirety of Black political opinion in eight paragraphs or five minutes. So as soon as I finished talking to NPR about the “Black vote” and explaining Black history to the Washington Post (this actually happened), I decided to Blacksplain how to correctly express your support for Palestine without losing your job, staining your reputation or being “canceled.”
Oh, wait …
Before you begin, as a Black person with an opinion, you are required to preface any independent thought with a few caveats.
Condemn Hamas
Before you state your opinion, you must condemn the violent attack on Oct. 7 and the displacement, oppression and murder of the Palestinian people.
I understand that Hamas is not a synonym for “Palestinian” or “Muslim.” Hamas might be in charge of the Palestinian government but it is also true that Palestinians are not allowed to vote in Israeli elections, and the West Bank and Gaza have not held elections since 2006. Still, if you are Muslim, you must condemn Hamas. If you are Palestinian, you must condemn Hamas. And, as a Black person, condemnation is the first step in standing with any group of oppressed people.
Before blurting out an independent or controversial thought, oppressed people must contort themselves not to make the unoppressed feel uncomfortable. White people hate feeling uncomfortable. While this is literally the law of the land in Florida, this rule dates back to time immemorial. Abolitionists had to prove they were not down with slave rebellions. Anti-lynching activists had to condemn the nonexistent plague of Black men attacking white women. Civil rights demonstrators had to distance themselves from Communists. Before I can stand with any victim of police brutality, I must condemn Black-on-Black violence, gangbanging, Louis Farrakhan, and anything that happened in Chicago.
Fortunately, this tenet does not apply to people who are not oppressed. White people are not required to condemn the Proud Boys, Moms for Liberty, Walmart Karens or the Founding Fathers who collectively included white supremacy in the foundational document of this country. Even when they unilaterally declare that they don’t have a racist bone in their body, they are doing so of their own free will.
Now, let’s get into how you can effectively stand with Palestine.
Oh, wait: There’s one more thing you’re required to do before you can stand with victims of genocide, discrimination or any form of oppression.
Reject violence
You are probably saying to yourself: “Isn’t this whole thing about how you think violence is bad?” Well, that kinda depends on how you define “violence.”
See, Hamas is a violent terrorist organization that killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostages on Oct. 7, including children. Israeli air strikes have killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, including 4,104 children. But you can’t refer to that as “violence,” “terrorism” or “genocide” because those acts were committed by “security forces.” See the difference?
You probably can’t imagine living in an apartheid state with a history of segregation, disenfranchisement and economic inequality. Then again, some people have very liberal definitions of violence. Many people would classify a government that allows firearm manufacturers to dictate its response to mass shootings as “violent.” Not taxing wealthy corporations while allowing people to die from lack of health care could be considered violent. Underfunded majority Black schools or a racially biased criminal justice system might be considered violent. Ultimately, you don’t get to define words, so you must preface your political opinion by explicitly stating your belief that murder and terrorism are bad. Unless, of course, the person who’s murdered looks like you, in which case …
They probably feared for their lives.
Now that you’re done with that part, you can dive into this complex conflict. First, you need to…
Oh, wait. I forgot something.
Not all ____
Whew! I almost forgot to specify who I’m talking about!
Most intelligent people understand that criticizing the actions of the Israeli government, the U.S. policy on Israel and the specific treatment of Palestinians is not the same as criticizing “all Israelis” or “all Jews.” Just as calling out white supremacy can be interpreted as an attack on white people, disagreeing with the actions Israeli government can be misconstrued as antisemitism. So, before you have to endure a lengthy response about how they grew up around Black people and adopted a young negro child, let them save their “not all white people” for another occasion. As a person who uses words for a living, I tend to say “all” when I mean it.
It doesn’t matter to some people that — even before the heinous Oct. 7 attack (see, I condemned it again, but with a different adjective) — most American Jewish people disagreed with the Netanyahu-led government. It doesn’t matter that Israel is not synonymous with “Jewish.” It doesn’t matter that Black Americans and Jews have historically fought the same common enemies. You must be clear that you are not blaming all Israelis or all Jews for what is going on in Gaza.
OK, now you’re ready to dissect this issue. First, you must say that it pains your heart to see …
Dammit, I missed something!
Say “Thank you”
Before you criticize American policy, you must acknowledge that America is the greatest country in the United States.
Disarm your prospective canceler by being patriotic. Otherwise, they might assume that your desire to improve your country and your hesitancy in being complicit in genocide is a product of hate for America. You should also acknowledge all the Jewish people who marched during the civil rights struggle and that you would still be walking around barefoot in a loincloth if white people hadn’t rescued your ancestors from Africa.
Unlike your white counterparts who are free to criticize their country’s social, economic and political policies, you must realize that you are free to go back to Africa at any time.
You’re not ready to stand yet. There’s one more thing.
Answer the “whatabouts…”
Whether it’s the Democratic plantation, the Mexican caravan, Planned Parenthood, the violence in Black neighborhoods, the genocide in South Sudan, Nazis, white supremacist domestic terrorism, drill music, terrorists attacks on any group of people or that drive-by that someone is emailing me about as we speak, you must address the deafening din of the people asking: “But what about…” Luckily, your policy on all these issues can be summed up in five words.
“I wasn’t talking about that.”
OK, now that you’ve done with all the preliminary statements, you’re ready to explain your position. Begin by dissecting the …
By now, everyone should be gone.
The truth is, no one cares. If you aren’t confirming a position already held by white Americans, they won’t even bother to listen to Black people. If you were a cynic, you might wonder why both sides are so entrenched in their beliefs on this issue that they reject any attempt at meaningful dialogue. But you’re not a cynic; you’re Black in America. You have to believe that, regardless of our nationalities, religions or individual political perspectives, most people have a sliver of humanity. You need to believe that good people want to see an end to this suffering.
You’ve never seen it, but still…
One last thing before I forget:
Murder is bad. Genocide is worse. Stand in solidarity with the oppressed people of the world.
See how easy that was?
You’re welcome.
Michael Harriot is an economist, cultural critic and championship-level Spades player. His New York Times bestseller Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America is available everywhere books are sold.
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