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Speak Truth to Black Power, Too

By Clarence Page, Tribune Content Agency on

Since I'm not a regular viewer of "Grey's Anatomy," I didn't know who the actor Jesse Williams was until his eloquent rants about the state of race in America popped up in viral internet videos.

Now he's hit the big time. He's been widely hailed and covered for his "courage" and "speaking truth to power" in an eloquent speech he delivered after accepting the Humanitarian Award at the BET Awards on Sunday night.

It's a stirring speech, a bracing indication of Williams' theatrical talents, multimedia commentaries and community activism.

It was also a heartwarming speech. The Chicago-born Williams began with thanks to his parents, as cameras turned to his white mother and black father -- stirring symbols of a new era of racial harmony.

He also paused to salute "black women in particular who have spent their lifetimes dedicated to nurturing everyone before themselves. We can and will do better for you." Big applause for that, deservedly so.

But from there I found his speech to be both energizing and troubling. High energy with inadequate direction to it is always troubling.

 

Williams has credited his biracial background with enabling him to witness America's racial tribulations from both sides. Great. Unfortunately, only one side was expressed in his speech. Guess which one?

"Now, what we've been doing is looking at the data and we know that police somehow manage to de-escalate, disarm and not kill white people every day," he said sarcastically, touching off big whoops with the crowd.

That's a worthwhile point to make. I've made it myself after high-profile police killings and will do it again, if necessary.

But as an African-American who has listened to more speeches than you can shake a police baton at, I know that it does not take much courage to tell a mostly black audience that their biggest problem is white racism.

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(c) 2016 CLARENCE PAGE DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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