“So please, black folks”

On Saturday, CNN news anchor Don Lemon went on the air and addressed an entire American demographic. “Black people, if you really want to fix the problem, here’s just five things you should think about doing.” And with that, Lemon proposed a five-step plan for racial uplift in America.

Don Lemon has been at the forefront of an on-the-air race dialogue this summer ever since the media circus on the Travvon Martin trial began. He has spoken on issues such as racial profiling and the N-word, and though some of his opinions have been controversial, I appreciated the simple fact that such discourse was allowed to take place in a public dialogue within mainstream media.

However, during this Saturday’s segment, he overstepped a significant boundary—not because, as some might think, he aired out the black community’s dirty laundry to CNN’s audience, comprised mostly of white, middle-class viewers. Rather, Lemon crossed the line because he put forth a simplistic argument, attributing the current woes of black urban youths to the superficial differences in appearance that allegedly distinguish them from their white peers. Even though he is careful to say that his words only apply to a certain group within the black community, the very pronouncement of his five-step plan promotes an unproductive discourse on black pathology and worse, supports perilous untruths underlying justifications of discriminatory behavior, effectively absolving the public of the responsibility to treat people fairly no matter how they look.

The first of the five steps provides succinct insight to his misguided advice: Young black men,  “[P]ull up your pants.” He points to the prison culture from which this clothing trend derives and claims that this link to delinquency fuels diminished employment opportunity. After his quick explanation he plays a clip of himself on The Wendy Williams Show in which he concludes that sagging pants are indicative of sagging self-esteem.

It is true—the appearance of young black males incontestably affects employment opportunity, but it is reductive to point to clothing selection as a chief cause of this problem. Although Lemon himself has addressed the issue of racial profiling by law enforcement in the past, in this piece, he overlooks the role that stereotyping plays in the context of the workplace, in the reading of an application, in an interview—regardless of impressive credentials or shoulders swathed in the fine wool of an Armani suit. Certainly, black men do not only face disadvantage when wearing saggy clothing.

Additionally, if Lemon identifies poor self-esteem as the underlying source of pants below the belt, then why not make a suggestion that speaks to, or at least acknowledges, the historical and systematic oppression of the young black man’s spirit?

The words “structural inequality” get thrown around a lot, and to some extent the American public, and particularly the Harvard student body, is desensitized to the weight of meaning behind the ubiquitous phrase. Nevertheless, without recognition of the structural flaws that play such an enormous role in dictating an individual’s life outcomes, we unreasonably place the burden of change on the agency of a single person.

With all this said, by no means do I aim to imply that the individual has no responsibility in fighting for his own fortune and success. Encouraging work ethic and a sense dignity doesn’t do harm—but speaking as if the entire black population is without these attributes demeans and insults the sizable number of African Americans struggling in spite of their arduous efforts and hopeful pride.

Everyone—black and white, Asian and Latino—has a part to play in making America better, in healing wounds that have long festered and spread like a virus in the body politic.

But that’s just it: This is a collective struggle. We are fighting for the future of our country, and there are action items for each of us.

Change for black people does not begin with blaming black people. Instead, it starts with a pervasive admission and acceptance of a glorious and soiled history that belongs to the United States. It begins with information and a knowledgeable public that has the contextual bearings to engage in these discussions to begin with. It starts with acknowledgement of inequities that exist today, not only in reference to the nation’s historical sins. America’s only hope for resolution is heavily dependent on swallowing the context in which we root our efforts to mitigate racial tension.

And if a call to action is necessary, then it should be a call to those with privilege to advocate on behalf of those without. There is a place for the individual’s agency and effort, but our responsibility lies in protecting the American promise of equality through improvements in American education. It begins in our schools.

In one of his points, Lemon challenges young black kids not to give up on their education without challenging schools not to give up on young black kids.  Encouraging black youth to tenaciously pursue education is indeed a good thing, but if Lemon wants to see the median academic index among black students truly rise, he needs to look first to the school system that is cheating youth of their right to education. There are students throughout the country who can discern society’s presumption of their failure before they have even neared the “prison pipeline.” In fact, it is unashamedly reflected in the resources afforded to their county’s public schools, particularly in urban areas.

In Chicago, the city has agreed to provide $33 million to fund a private basketball stadium for DePaul University, even though the Chicago Public School system disgracefully languishes. Just last week, 9-year-old Asean Johnson appeared before the school board of a city that has decided to close 50 schools since March and is also currently facing a $1 billion operating deficit. Tears streaked down this young man’s face as he pleaded for a quality education.

So in the end, it’s not just about telling students to stay in school or socializing our children to be empathetic. We don’t only need to include in curricula holistic texts of America’s tried and true past, the good, bad, and ugly. We need to make this education, this opportunity, accessible to all. We need a system that shouts “I believe in you!” when a child walks into the classroom no matter the neighborhood or congressional district—no matter that child’s creed or color. We shouldn’t believe that this responsibility exclusively rests with teachers, superintendents, and parents. It belongs to every American citizen invested in seeing the country continue to flourish.

Don Lemon is correct in implying that we need to change our expectations, particularly of American youth, but he is wrong in assuming this shift in outlook will take place if individuals in his position of power validate the practice of judging an individual’s worth based on stereotypes and falsehoods.

Bethlehem Dereje ’14, a Crimson editorial writer, is a history and literature concentrator in Cabot House.