An Apology...

       Yesterday morning, I spoke in chapel addressing issues of racial reconciliation. I talked about how we all needed one another. Immediately after it was over, I was addressed by not one, but several of my peers concerning a comment I made during my speech yesterday. The comment went something like this,

“We have seen groups like the KKK, and the Black Panthers, and though we do not adopt their hate and anger… we do adopt their separatist behavior, that says, “As long as I am comfortably surrounded by my caucasian friends, or my black friends, my latino friends, or my Asian friends… That I am not in need of my other ethnic brothers and sisters.”

       The fear from many students was that I was purposely communicating that the KKK and the Black Panthers were equal but opposite organizations. In other words, that the KKK and the Black Panthers were pretty much the same thing, just with different colored people in each group. As well, the fear was that I was placing those two organizations on the same plane. To the fear and legitimate concern of many of my peers, whom I deeply respect, I extend my greatest apologies for poorly communicating my message of reconciliation.
    Historically, it is understood that the KKK was renown for its hate crimes that were born out of arrogance, pride, and a superficial sense of superiority. And on the other hand, the Black Panthers were a reactionary movement to hate crimes fleshed out by organizations like the KKK. The idea that I was trying to convey yesterday was that within ethnic groups, even within Ethnic Organizations who have good intentions (of course, I’m speaking of the Black Panthers… and not the KKK), there are those who often take things beyond restoring their own cultural identity, and find themselves in an angry place where they completely separate themselves from anyone else. Even within my own peoples, the Latinos, the Xicanos… there is an organizations called Mecha, which pulls for the advancement of all Latinos and Xicanos because of much socio-economic oppression and social injustices that have been had in recent years, as well as throughout history. They’re a good organization with a lot of good goals. My own brother has been involved with the San Antonio Chapter, and many of the others involved are really good people… However, across the country there have been cases of those who have lost sight of Mecha’s true aims and these type of people within Mecha have begun walking down paths of potentially harmful activism. They are the ones who carry the Machismo attitude that says, “I do not need anyone other than my Xicano" And not Chicano with a Ch, but with an X… because for many, there is a great difference.
       To all those offended by my comment from yesterday, please know that this was not my intention at all and I am deeply sorry for poorly communicating. The KKK and the Black Panthers are two remarkably different entities within history. The KKK dealt a great deal of hate crimes and racial oppression, while the Panthers strove to justly respond to this type of oppression.
       I hope, that as a result, many of you will learn my heart for racial reconciliation. It is not my aim to solve anyone else’s problems, only my own. However, I feel that as a brother to all of you, whether you are Latino, Black, White, Native America, or Asian… I should invest my time in creating opportunities for us to dialogue about all of these issues.
       For me, yesterday was a prime example of how I needed those who are different from me. Though I had not intended to, I poorly communicated my message, and with the help of many people (Black, Lebanese, White, Asian, and Latino), I heard the legitimate concerns and fears of many people in this auditorium. Fears and concerns that hurt me because I feared that I had created yet another barrier for all of us... but with the help of my brothers and sisters who were both alike, and different than I am… communication was had and feelings were honestly expressed. For this, I thank you. For without all of you, I would have been ignorant of your needs. Let us continue in the quest for Racial Reconciliation for the sake of the Gospel. God Bless You.