A problem with the Free Hugs Project

From an original Facebook Post dated 9/25/16. NowThis media company released a short clip of Free Hugs Project founder Ken Nwadike giving hugs to cops during the Charlotte, NC protests in response to the murder of Keith Lamont by police officers. Here's my response:

Post:

“It’s about staying neutral, that’s what’s important!”

When I heard the founder of Free Hugs Project, Ken Nwadike passionately scream this to hecklers in response to him giving hugs to police officers in Charlotte, NC, I shook my head in annoyance and said, “No, no it’s not.” In choosing to use the backdrop of America 2016 to promote his message of love, he blindly misses the mark with his choice of words and does harm to not only his message, but the current movement that is choosing to have an actual conversation around race.

In America 2016, there is a considerable amount of angst throughout the country and if not dealt with properly and sufficiently, I will live to see the complete fall of an empire that is less than 250 years old. ‘The Great Conversation’ that needs to be had around the foundations of which this country was falsely built on is being checked. It will not stop with the lagging response of justice to police brutality from our lawmakers and judicial system, ‘ill equipped’ for our tech savvy and transparent world, but will begin to call into question our own founding fathers intentions and the monuments left in their names. This is just the beginning. With matters of race taking shape as the first talking point, The Great Conversation cannot exist with neutrality but can only exist through a frank and honest open discussion if we want to keep this nation alive. This is why I have a problem with the Free Hugs Project's founder’s actions specifically in Charlotte, N.C. and the project’s message which can be attributed as a move towards ‘world peace’ - as I do not feel hugs are aligned with the current climate of America with respect to race.

To be frank, at the root of our problems of the current American climate with respect to race, stems from white supremacy and the uncontrolled excesses of capitalism. I'm all for world peace and vibrating high in an effort to push the great experiment of humanity forward, but before we can even get to this place, so many other boundaries and divisive tools must come down and we can barely get past color. The current plight of the Black within this country stems from years of oppression and being considered less than. Racism exists within our country and we all feel it. What bothered me about watching Ken Nwadike attempting to give hugs to the policeman using the backdrop of the racial climate of the country, was him yelling back to hecklers, "It’s about staying neutral, that’s what’s important!" When it comes to dismantling a powerful construct such as white supremacy for peace, being neutral in times of ‘distress’ is being complicit and the passivity that comes with being neutral allows for what is wrong to permeate. As a result, actual progression of 'peace' will be delayed. I’d like to add, in a world that is moving fast with the emergence of social media, justice is something that governments cannot afford to delay, and understanding the actual climate of the country is not something we as citizens can afford to sugarcoat.

Cops are not bad people, but there are bad people who are cops. It seems that the judicial system is unable to adapt rapidly to deliver justice as cell phone footage captures the next murder or frequent injustices. This is another problem as there is a generational disparity between those currently in power and the youth, as our respected elder seem to be unable or unwilling to believe we operate in a transparent world. A veil no longer exists and to act as it does, does considerable harm to a nation’s existence as you have a generation that can deliver a problem real time, reliant on a government to provide a solution in the same manner. The internal structures of the police force and the channels that promote its existence need to be reevaluated but seem to be lagging in its efforts to do so. The history of the police force in this country is intertwined with the systemic oppression of groups of people of lower socio-economic standing within this country. This force was set in place by those who had accumulated incredible influence and wealth with the possibility to thrive without any limitations based on the color of their skin. The influence wielded on this force, creates a deadly concoction, one in which these youths and organizations such as BLM are trying to dismantle or extract. To throw out hugs in a time of distress based off a highly probable yet current utopian idea of we are ‘all one’ or in an effort to ‘raise social awareness’, misses the point of the first talking point of The Great Conversation, completely.

In order to even get to acceptance for all, the hurt has to exist to first. Some of the comments from those who still don't understand after watching these ‘hugging’ videos said, "Why can't BLM people behave like this?" "If all BLM people behaved like this, I would understand." This is limiting progression of certain transgressors of humanity or certain people, to actually understanding their own sickness and could delay them from getting better. It seems the world is waking up and some of our fellow man, still can't wrap their heads around the problem. There is a pill that needs to be swallowed by those in a position of power and privilege and this time, people are going to make sure it goes down with or without water. A cure is needed, and to soften the blow or bitterness of the pill, will continue to prolong this disease of a superiority complex, which has never existed and is a fabrication of the human experience. White supremacy needs to end. To those who still hold on to these false constructs of superiority even if they do not exemplify outright supremacist behavior, yet lack understanding of their own privilege, need to recognize that they are living a lie and are truly ‘not well.’ They are sick.

A mother still force feeds her child medicine to get better because she knows better, this is no different. To see this young man giving hugs to the police force, while admirable is somewhat comical and is cringe worthy as he screams with passion "It’s about staying neutral!" when the current times do not ask for this. Furthermore, it mitigates the hurt and emotion that needs to be expressed in order to move forward. While I do not condone him being heckled in the way that he was in Charlotte, I also understand the hurt and pain from the hecklers. No one should be an advocate for violence but the people are angry at the first boundary (policemen) set in place by our own government that stands in between the way of their freedoms and liberties. They have every right to express their discontent as it is bringing awareness. To sprinkle this with hugs and YouTube uploads marginalizes their push for equality and counters their movement. It's a slap in the face.

The reason why there is a harsh critique of this man from the Black community with words such as “coonery” and “Uncle Tom”, is because the neutrality of it all is reminiscent of days when Blacks were forced to be silent and abide by the law. Being called a coon or an Uncle Tom is equivalent to complacency, neutrality being a distant cousin but virtually a first cousin when there are times of distress. A voice has been found again within the Black community, and neutrality is the last thing anyone who values human life wants to hear, as it seems some people still don't get it. Neutrality didn’t work for ACT UP in the Aids epidemic nor did it work for the decolonization of British rule in India for Gandhi. Neutrality does not work. While his efforts to raise social awareness through hugs may work in other situations, to use it for police brutality highlighting racism in America 2016, is not the time nor place for it. This is serious, and the aloofness of the display distracts from us as a society getting to the core problem.

I've seen his videos before and while I applaud his efforts, his neutrality leads to confusion and almost does more harm to his message than good. For instance, in one of his videos where he gives hugs at a Trump rally, which garnered many views, almost seemed as if the intent was to show blacks as being "non threatening" and the "same" when we were never threatening to begin with nor viewed as the same to begin with - a construct set in place by those with privilege and power. We were never barbaric and we were never uncivilized, hence why these misconceptions promulgated by those of privilege need to be dismantled.

The only way to dismantle these ‘false-norms’ is to create a situation of intense self-reflection amongst the transgressors, Whites and people of privilege and to no longer soothe the unease that self-reflection triggers. Hugging does this. Circling back to the Trump video, one could say it was to show the ignorance of Trump’s supporters, however I'm not sure. Neutrality confuses me. It prances around the subject instead of shoving it in front of the faces of those that really need to catch up with the world, for their own wellbeing. They are falling behind, yet we are still trying to help them see. However, the patience is wearing thin. I don't condone and try to avoid lexicon used by our own community which denotes us as lesser than or sell outs, as these words too were birthed from constructs of white supremacy, but can you understand why the confusion leads to others within our community calling him a 'coon' in critical times such as these? It's just another ugly word for neutrality and complacency.

No one is bringing this baggage of racism further into the 21st century and you'd be foolish to think it will end with Blacks. Other minority groups in our nation are beginning to ponder why equality has not been given to them as promised by this country, and they too are beginning to search for the core problem. Blacks in America will fight two fronts in this last push for equality and respect. I say last, because people are beyond tired and frustrated, truly. One will be to raise as much awareness as humanly possible, unapologetically, in order to shed a spotlight on the historical indecencies caused by white supremacy towards Blacks (lynchings, segregation, discrimination, etc.) - the second being to begin to rebuild their communities which will require considerable self reflection in a capitalistic and individualistic society. We will see our own begin to question why some in a place of privilege, have not done more for the community or have even ‘allowed’ certain stereotypes to exist.

This man who gives hugs is ten steps ahead in his approach towards universality and if he can be that 'visionary' for world peace, I ask him to float back down to earth as he should begin to assist in the rebuilding of our own communities first. While I applaud his efforts to spread love with hugs, I ask him to be cognizant of where, how, and what he’s doing to raise awareness in his quest for 'love'; as some situations, currently, are not aligned with hugs. If he must record and upload, with the backdrop of themes of systemic oppression and police brutality, using America 2016 as a conduit to spread a message of love through hugs, I ask that he turn to our communities first. If the message is to show Blacks in a 'pleasing light', I ask that he turn to our communities first.

As an example, step in Chicago and give hugs to young Black youths and walk the streets with them, giving the community hugs. This will not only address my second point of rebuilding an afflicted community by showing that he is in this fight, but will also show the humanistic side of those unable to progress in the richest country in the world, concurrently allowing others to catch a glimpse of what actually is. Fight for your community by not saying "it’s about being neutral" but saying to the world and those in a position of privilege, “it’s about showing people what this country has done.” Then upload the video to YouTube, and say like and subscribe to create and assist in the much needed conversation to move us as a nation, forward.