Jackson Free Press

You can't help but notice the unbelievably high number of comments on social media concerning the issue of what we should do about our "friends" who are racists. I'm not talking about the whites who openly identify as being racists; kudos to those who are honest enough to own it. I am referring to the people who steadfastly deny that a racist symbol, i.e. the Confederate flag, is anything but a symbol of hate while proclaiming that political correctness is ruining this country because it infringes on the right of free speech.

People will use semi-intellectual talking points they heard on Fox News or some other fake news outlet that only panders to racists in an effort to affirm that blatant bigotry is still OK in the United States. These talking points do not persuade, at least not me and a lot of other people, but only succeed in putting others on alert of who they are dealing with. Then, there is the most offensive talking point that I believe I have ever heard: Whites shouldn't dump their racist friends who don't hesitate to spout their hate speech.

Yes, I am aware that we have a protected right to free speech, and that is what makes America great, but there is also the theory that under the free-speech doctrine, the marketplace of ideas will eventually sift out what society deems as unacceptable speech. We have seen this work in the past with slavery, women's rights to reproductive freedom, and today, the lack of acceptability of a symbol of hate, the Confederate flag.

Translation: People who are used to openly expressing racist ideals are now finding more open opposition to their brand of bigotry, and they are having problems with the transition. So when I hear someone suggest that whites should keep their racist friends who are vocal about their bigotry, I cringe.

Here's why: First, who are you, as a white person, to dictate who is a good ally in the struggle for racial equality? This is not something a white person should decide for the entire African American community. Individuals can make that choice for themselves, but please don't assume you, a non-African American, know what is best. I equate it to a rapist dictating the definition of rape.

Second, you are sending a message to the bigot that after all is said and done, their bigotry is OK. At the end of the day, the bigot leaves the situation feeling that all that happened was an exchange of philosophies and ideas. No. What they are doing is spewing hate speech that reaffirms, in their minds and the minds of other bigots, that they are right, almost like chanting a mantra. The more you say it, the more you believe it is true.

Third, you are possibly creating a hostile environment for your friends who are people of color. I say possibly because it depends on how the person chooses to react. To me, if you create a space for bigots in your life, I have to wonder what you are like when I am not around you.

I also wonder, if we are hanging out in public, what kind of people you would expose me to. I have a right to feel safe, and if there is a chance being around you will expose me to a bigot, I will choose to not be around you and probably not want you in my life altogether. To me, it is a matter of mutual respect; I am willing to give my friends 100 percent of it, but I demand it in return. If it is not returned, we don't need to be around each other. Case closed.

I want to clarify that I am not pointing my finger at white people who are honest-to-God activists who are trying to educate publicly by admitting their own backgrounds and how they have learned from them; they are leading by example. These people risk personal ties that they have held for almost a lifetime, and in some cases have been criticized as forgetting they are white themselves, or called apologists. I call them heroes, human beings and allies.

Thank you true allies, thank you.

Deirdre Jackson has lived in Jackson since 1986. She hopes to be a part of the movement that will improve her city and her state.