Essay: Vigilance will be key over the next four years
I do not have a crystal ball to tell what will happen over the coming years. None of us do. But we can speculate based on several factors.
We are divided as a nation, more than at any time most of us can remember. Fact: We have traversed many divisions over our history and somehow found ways to move on. In many ways, our current divisions mirror those old divisions dressed in new clothes.
Bias against race, culture, poverty, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability have been part of our landscape for far too long. In particular, bias and grievances against racial minorities (American Blacks mostly) and the poor are fully ingrained into the American psyche. So much so that many do not recognize this as a fault line or see it as one that needs to be addressed or corrected. While a nation of mostly immigrants (Native Americans/Indigenous Peoples being the exception), it is sad to note how we raged against every immigrant group that has graced the shores of the newly formed United States, be they Irish, Italian, German, Eastern European, Chinese or Japanese. Today that rage continues unabated against Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Muslims, Jews and the LGBTQ+ community. All peoples who have been integral to what America is … the most successful nation on many fronts, but particularly within the economic and technological spheres.
As in the past, our politics and politicians continue to stoke these divisions for their own narrow purposes or for something deeper and darker such as white nationalism/supremacy and/or repression of the poor, communities of color and religious minorities.
Social media has allowed every racist, bigot and intolerant individual to express their views, lie and try to recreate history based on their distorted and narrow perception of reality. Even to the point of poisoning our political discourse and those who represent us.
According to FBI and U.S. Department of Justice reports, between 2016 and 2019 hate crimes increased by 20%, and between 2014 and 2022, by just over 100%. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that the 2023 numbers are slightly higher over 2022 and that the bulk of them were in the categories of race and ethnicity (52.5%), religion (22.5%) and sexual orientation (18.4%).
Things are not expected to change soon. The divisions are too wide and, most importantly, many do not respect the contributions we all bring to make the whole (nation) better. Instead, many focus on skin color and cultural, religious and gender differences that make us unique but that scare others, even though such differences have always brought strength to the nation.
All of this leads me to believe that we better be on our toes as we enter another difficult period with leaders who do not care about our divisions and others who purposely stoke divisions. We will continue to struggle with difficult relations between Americans who believe in inclusiveness and tolerance and those who do not because of some unproven, ghost threat whipped up in their minds.
New Hampshire is not devoid of acts of racism and hate. Most recently, many have supported Mamadou Dembele, a banking professional who was attacked in Portsmouth in November 2023. His case was prominent because he would not let what happened to him be swept under the carpet, which could have easily happened had it not been for his courage and collective collaboration. His was the exception; I suspect that many cases go unreported to the detriment of and ability to deal with this issue more openly and appropriately. Those who get away with such acts only add to the belief that the law and public are on their side or are incapable of dealing with such matters.
What we must keep in mind is the following:
Communities of color continue to grow in New Hampshire, and we are here to stay.
We are building supportive organizations and coalitions that will benefit all of New Hampshire. Some include Black Lives Matter, NAACP, Business Alliance for People of Color, NH Center for Justice and Equity, the Black Heritage Trail and many others.
The state is a willing partner that looks to work to protect our communities. In fact, it has a political, moral and social obligation to do so.
If you experience an incident of bias or a violent attack based on racism, religious difference, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, I encourage you to report it to your local authorities and to the state Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, organizations like the NH Center for Justice and Equity, your local NAACP (Portsmouth, Manchester, Nashua), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are resources.
I wish to be wrong that we will continue to see increases in incidents of hate based on our racial, religious, cultural, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability identifiers, but given where we are as a nation, I do not see it being otherwise. If we build coalitions, report these incidents, and work with state and local authorities when these incidents occur, we will make progress. Justice rendered in a timely and appropriate way will send the message that we all belong and are here to make New Hampshire better.
Stay vigilant my friends. Stay vigilant.
This article was featured in 603 Diversity.
603 Diversity’s mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state’s diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.
