Shirley Sherrod, SB 1070, and the politics of fear

Tomorrow is July 29, 2010. In some ways, the day will be like any other late July day: hot, muggy, and long. However, this particular day will be historic for all of the wrong reasons because the infamous Arizona immigration bill is scheduled to take effect. The bill that essentially legalizes racial profiling and endorses discrimination has already precipitated an exodus from parts of Arizona. Watch a recent news report from an Arizona station for more on the ways in which this bill has created large-scale social and economic upheaval. (http://video.theweek.com/video/Hispanics-already-leaving-Arizo
For some, the exodus could be a measure of progress. For others, this departure is a sure sign of the chaos caused by the controversial law. Whatever your vantage point, I think that we can all agree that this is not the type of reform for which we all hoped.
If there is a need for more evidence of our national fear of racial difference, we don’t have to look any further than last week’s Shirley Sherrod ‘controversy.’ Only an intense refusal to engage in an honest discussion about race could turn a speech on transformation and class unity into a speech about fear and reverse racism. Although the enforcement of Arizona’s immigration law and the Sherrod affair may not seem to have a lot in common, taken together, the two moments actually point to our collective problems and potential in race relations.
Sherrod’s life was shaped by two periods in our shared racial past: the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. After her father was killed in a dispute with a white farmer, she committed her life to working for change. Her work for social and racial justice continued when she married one of the founders of SNCC. Her narrative is important for any of those who may believe that civil rights are only black and white issues. A number of recent articles point to the absence of African Americans in the immigration reform movement. Some would argue that immigration reform is not an issue of interest in the African American community. Well, think again. In the 1990s, an average of about 40,000 Africans annually entered the United States. Further, foreign-born Africans increased from 400,000 in 1990 to 700,000 in 2000. Granted, there are far more immigrants of Latino descent than those of African descent, but the need for comprehensive immigration reform impacts each and every one of us.
A recent Washington Post article points to the death and destruction that occurs on our national borders. Officials have found an overwhelming number of bodies found in the Arizona desert (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072203067.html). So many bodies are being found that the Pima County Medical Examiner was stacking them in a refrigerated truck. How many more immigrants have to die before we agitate for the change that we want to see? Gustavo Torres, an Hispanic leader in Maryland, was among those who marched for immigration reform in the nation’s capital. His words serve as a powerful reminder of the legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the role of interracial cooperation. In an interview with a Telemundo news anchor, Torres states: “We are learning what our African-American brothers and sisters did in their struggle for civil rights. When politicians who have made promises don’t do what they said they would do, we are going to pressure them. In a civil manner, but we are going to escalate this struggle.” Likewise, the Chicano Civil Rights Movement serves as yet another important reminder of the power of the people to effect momentous change.
Each of has a role to play in working for comprehensive reform. If you need another reminder of the senselessness that takes place in the absence of reform, look no further than the death of Samuel Baez-Rosa in Middletown, Ohio. Baez-Rosa was beaten when he refused to hand over cash to two robbers. Witnesses are few and far between because they are reluctant to talk to police because of their immigration status (http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/man-woman-sought-in-baseball-bat-death-812356.html). Our communities cannot become witnesses to a new wave of racialized violence.
For some, tomorrow may come and go with little fanfare. However, for those invested in comprehensive reform, tomorrow is a powerful reminder of the long road ahead. There are as many as 17 states considering Arizona-style reform … let’s take Ohio off of that list.

UPDATE
Judge blocks key parts of Arizona immigration law. See, e.g.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66R45C20100728?type=politicsNews