Thursday; February 22

The other day I was reading an 1896 speech about the need for improved African American education given by Booker T. Washington who observed, “In reference to my own race I am confronted with some embarrassment at the outset because of the various and conflicting opinions as to what is to be its final place in our economic and political life. Within the last thirty years – and, I might add, within the last three months – it has been proven by eminent authority that the Negro is increasing in numbers so fast that it is only a question of a few years before he will far outnumber the white race in the South, and it has also been proven that the Negro is fast dying out and it is only a question of a few years before he will have completely disappeared. It has also been proven that crime among us is on the increase and that crime is on the decrease; that education helps the Negro, that education also hurts him; that he is fast leaving the South and taking up his residence in the North and West, and that the tendency of the Negro is to drift to the lowlands of the Mississippi bottoms. It has been proven that as a slave laborer he produced less cotton than a free man. It has been proven that education unfits the Negro for work ...”. 
As I considered this section of Washington’s speech, two thoughts came to mind.  First, there has always been a temptation to use statistics to prove “my” point, not necessarily, determine accurate information.  Secondly, and more germane to this discussion, viewing people as statistics takes away the personal relationships we have to have with each other.  As long as we merely consider our neighbors “statistics on a graph” we will never conquer what troubles us.  In the confrontation between God and Cain after the murder of Abel we are told, “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ And he said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’”. (Genesis 4:9)  This phrase, which has challenged mankind throughout history, reminds us that we cannot abdicate our responsibility to one another.  We cannot excuse inaction by claiming to be “statistics keepers”, because, “Yes, Cain, we are our brother’s keepers!”.
Think About It!

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