To the Editor,
I was surprised to see a letter in the May 28 issue of the paper about the resignation of the Swarthmorean editors that asked if we should tell the stories about Swarthmore’s racism in a way “that makes readers uncomfortable.” The letter writer wondered whether making people uncomfortable is the “best way to mobilize white people to fight for equity and change.” Yes it is, according to Martin Luther King Jr.
King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” addresses white fellow ministers in the South who asked of him the more moderate approach of “waiting.” King rightfully responded that waiting had not yet proved to be a successful approach in enacting change.
Instead, King eloquently described how his direct action campaign created a “tension” in a community “forced to confront” American racism, which he called a “crisis” that “can no longer be ignored.”
Whether or not such direct action is the job of a community newspaper or of private citizens may be up for debate. But there is a long, rich, and effective history in the U.S. of directly confronting racism and, yes, making white people feel “uncomfortable.”
Sincerely,
Margaret Betz
Swarthmore