The Race We Are In

We are in the aftermath. It is probably too soon to say much of anything, as we take in the complexity, and before the consequences have even begun. But people have a lot to say about Election Day in the United States. I admit, I am sick of all the pontificating about what happened, who did what wrong; so much to explain, so many to blame. There is also much sorrow, disbelief, and dread. And so, I am moved to add my words to the mix.  It is not a time to stay silent.

Some say it is the missed messaging, some say it is the lies. There was so much dissembling and disparaging; now there is so much dissecting and expounding. Naturally, most of the commentary is on the race itself, since that was the big show. This frenzied competition for hearts and minds – for your vote. In our dominant two-party politics and electoral college mechanics, it is a winner-takes-all proposition to an extreme degree. It is a system built to elide nuance, override minorities, and exacerbate divides.

When I look at the big picture, I see individual competition vs. collective engagement. In the United States, we have a huge propensity for the former. We have been prosperous for so many decades that we forget how much it takes on a societal level for society to progress. We have been taught to make our own advantage, to take advantage, to fight for and claim our way –

for each of us, not all of us.

We are a country that was built on the rugged individual, who is pioneering forward, others be damned – especially those we “other” [1] – and we lack the history that built the commons. I see this in a simple paradigm, perhaps oversimplified, but telling. Walk down to the water in most any European city and marvel at how it flows alongside that shared walkway, how you are there with the community, as people sit, play, and pass you by. Now walk down to the water in most any American city – and you won’t get there. It is private property right down to the edge. The banks are cut up and claimed as private, not public. Sure, there are exceptions, but it is an Anglo-Saxon artefact, and it is, I think, a reflection of the rights we have engrained – the rights of individuals, and also companies, rather than the public, the shared collective.

But that is the nature of capitalism. Capitalism is a race for who can get ahead.  But we are not in a race, at least not against each other, not in the big picture.  If we all compete against each other, what kind of finish line does that give us? In that respect, yes, we are in a race against time, as we continue to destroy our common earth. But why make this a race against one another – and ultimately against ourselves as a whole? Why do we rely on a system that depends so heavily on winners and losers?

Come to think of it, we are also not in a "race" to be othered. The white race and black race, and shades in between, these are just labels we give ourselves. And these labels give us racism, the easy lever that lets us elevate some and denigrate the rest. It’s funny how those words overlap. Race, the color, and race, the competition. As if to say, being racist is part of the race. But whether racism or capitalism, we can listen to those who speak of the human race, rather than its many subdivisions and competitions.

The next four years in the United States are expected to bring us denials of climate change, lists of enemies on the inside and outside, raised and fortified borders and walls, freedoms (religion, guns, etc.) as a wedge against vulnerable groups, rolled-back government to empower companies and undercut social support, decreased development aid for low-income countries, and the list goes on. Such a long list of things that will put our social fabric, our common earth, our shared prosperity, and our collective humanity – not just now, but for generations to come – at ever increasing risk.

These are modern topics, but it is interesting to see what Sayyida Salme had to say. So many generations later, it is uncanny how relevant some of her writings remain:

People here may well be shaped by an excess of culture; there is hardly any other explanation. Then, too, this culture seems to breed conceit and, for some, goes hand-in-hand with arrogance. Both are certainly very ugly traits, and such people are best avoided. Overall, this is a place where weaklings will go under if they cannot sufficiently counter the endless moral blows that are seemingly part and parcel of this civilization. (Letters, p. 3)

All European states suffer more or less from the same very bad malady, namely jealousy. No one grants the others anything, and every state always strives to be ahead of every other state, no matter the cost. (Letters, p. 41)

Nowhere does the contrast between the haves and have nots appear greater than right here in the cold North, where one finds, on the one hand, such opulence and luxury, and on the other, such heart-rending poverty. (Letters, p. 42)

The nineteenth century was the beginning of industrialization and the forces of capitalism that unleashed it. Sayyida Salme’s life experience is also indicative. Her transition to enlightened Europe brought its share of fate, especially when her husband died and left her widowed with three small children. But her hardship, as she moved from city to city and descended into poverty, also points to virtually no safety net:

Against this backdrop, feeling totally powerless and fully dependent on the grace and mercy of strangers, I suffered terribly. Do not ever let yourself be persuaded by the fairy tale that widows and orphans generally fare better in Europe than with you. (Letters, p. 64)

Until the United States – and the world – finds its way to the commons, to our common humanity and shared destiny, we will be stuck in hierarchy and exclusion, division and collusion. The question is whether we see the world from a lens of competition or collaboration. I don’t mean to be naïve, and I am not looking for utopia, but we continue to be in the great balancing act between each of us and all of us. [The] competition won this week. We will need to work even harder to find and fortify our commonality.

We have a long way to go, but let’s walk down to the water’s edge and see our community and collective humanity. We’re not in a race. We are one race.

Let history surprise you; let her story inspire you - let her authentic voice speak to you. 

Andrea Emily Stumpf

November 7, 2024

Photo Credit: Freepik AI-generated image

[1] See my blog post from last month, Who remembers human zoos?