Los Angeles has a special relationship with racism, so let’s start there. A sleepy pueblo in the late 18th century, LA’s legacy of Hispanic culture was later marginalized by the oil exploration and land development of the late 19th century followed by the 20th century moving-pictures entertainment revolution. The city grew by from 100,000 in 1900 to 1.2 million by 1930.
By the Second World War, prejudice had divided Los Angeles along racial and ethnic differences. In June of 1943, the city was stunned by the Zoot Suit Riots. American service men on leave during World War II were joined by white Americans in attacking Latinos and, later, pretty much anyone else wearing the over-sized, flamboyant zoot suits, then fashionable among minorities but originating in the black community as a statement of self-expression. No one is really sure how the riots of 1943 started but, like today’s protests, they seem to be related to the wrongful death of an individual, in this case a young Latino killed in a Los Angeles suburb the year before.
As Mark Twain allegedly observed, “History may not repeat itself but it often rhymes.” Since the Zoot Suit Riots, every generation since has witnessed a serial episode of civil unrest. The Watts Riots of 1965, then the Uprising of 1992 that followed the acquittal of police officers on trial for excessive force in the arrest of Rodney King. Today, yet another generation later, our city is witness to the largely peaceful demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
There have been any number of reflex responses to the George Floyd tragedy from government agencies, interfaith organizations and universities. These are all well-intended and most welcome. But the reality is racism is an uncomfortable civic conversation. Even grammar can be discriminatory. We don’t agree on capitalization, for example. We might write Black, signifying a segment of society that identifies itself by color, but one rarely sees white capitalized in the same way unless it’s in reference to white supremacy.
The statement our religious institution wanted to share with others needed to be more than an inventory of LA’s riots. We wanted to outline the problem, express our concern but also identify a basis for working toward a resolution; something that might address the pain of others but also empathize with the outrage. Rage is no substitute for discourse but, then again, protests are entirely appropriate in the face of systemic injustice.
With over 3,000 congregants, LA has the largest Bahá’í community on the North American continent. The governing Bahá’í institution on which I serve is called a Spiritual Assembly. Like every other city or township, there are nine members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Los Angeles. They are elected by the general membership, by secret ballot, without a process of nomination. Its statement on racism can be accessed here.
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