Love Over Fear.

A few months ago, while casually browsing Reddit, I came across this image. It deeply struck me and sent me down a rabbit hole of research into what occurred. In this photo, Keshia Thomas, 18, is using her body to protect an alleged KKK member, Albert McKeel Jr., from a brutal beating during a rally in her hometown in Michigan, in 1996.

We have all heard the cliché phrase “don’t fight fire with fire,” and while many of us understand it intellectually — in a non-symbolic actual fire situation it will only create more fire — but most don’t truly take it to heart. In the moment captured, Keshia became the embodiment of this idea.

In the midst of chaos and violence, this young woman — a high-school student at the time — chose to shield this man from an angry mob, an act seemingly unfathomable to most, especially if they had been a victim of racism themselves.

When asked why she jumped to save him, Keshia explained that she had experienced many instances of race-related injustice in her life, and no one ever stood up for her. In that moment, she chose to be the force she needed all this time. Rather than standing by and condoning endless violence, which likely would only have been met with further retribution, she chose to break the pattern.

Twenty years later, Keshia, who has gone on to become a keynote speaker and activist for human rights, was contacted by the son of McKeel — who had passed away a few months prior. McKeel’s son called to express his gratitude to her, even putting his 12-year-old sister on the line to say that if it were not for Keshia’s action, she might not have been alive that day.

“When I heard that, I thought this was the future and the past of what peace has created,” Thomas said. “The real accomplishment of all this to me is to know that his son and daughter don’t share the same views. History didn’t repeat itself. That’s what gives me hope that the world can get better from generation to generation.”

Source: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2016/06/saving_man_from_beating_at_kkk.html

To me, this woman is an angel in the flesh, serving as a reminder of the true consequences of our own actions. Regardless of how angry or upset we can be with any group of people and the cause they stand for — violence only begets more violence. While it’s entirely understandable why someone would oppose a member of the KKK, as humans we have to expand our ability for a more nuanced approach to these situations. The truth is, we are all products of our environments — the sum of knowledge that was instilled in us by the people around us — family, friends, community, childhood traumas. This is by no means a justification of the behavior of any hate group, but from a basic human standpoint, the only way to transcend hate is through love, education, and an attempt to understand the opposing party — which leads to an opportunity to dispel their beliefs. Without these attempts, even if fruitless at times, the war will never stop.

Keshia’s actions should truly serve as the best example for the rest of us.

In today’s tense political environment, I constantly hear people arguing about sides, pointing fingers at who is good and who is bad, seemingly dismissing the very real element of algorithms feeding us all agendas to maintain division. We all know this — how many documentary films have been made about this very thing? How many former tech people who took part in building these systems have come forward and attested to it?

Despite this, we choose to continue to be deeply emotionally entrenched in our personal beliefs of right and wrong, choosing to be ignorant of our own biases and blind spots.

It can be disheartening at times, but I try not to feed into it personally. I know at their very core, most people are good — even if misguided at times.

When considering the loudest politically and socially motivated voices around me, via social media or in person, I do wonder if they ever stop to consider the background of who they are arguing with — how they were raised, what life challenges they faced. 

Referencing the color palette here, for a simple visual — even the color black doesn’t just turn to white; there is a myriad of degrees of gray in between.

I want to be wrong about this, but it seems most just assume that the person standing in front of them sees the world through the same exact eyes (and mind) — and therefore they find it impossible to understand the misalignment of their opinions. 

Keshia Thomas’s ability to listen to her humanness that day — over the shouting crowd with a deeply violent agenda — enabled her to create a wave of peace spanning 20 years into the future and beyond.

While the idea of vastly changing the opinion of a crowd feels arduous, changing the mind of one person at a time can set off a butterfly effect of change into the future. Hate can't be stopped through government policies - if it perpetuates around the dinner table behind closed doors.

Today, not only do McKeel’s children not align with the message of hate propagated by their father’s beliefs, the generations ahead of them will have a clear example of what real humanness looks like. We are all capable of this.

So next time you are faced with the opportunity to engage in an aggressive confrontation, consider an attempt to understand why the person feels that way. Ask them questions; understand where they are coming from — you might be surprised to learn you have much more in common. And even if you still don’t come to an understanding, do your best to walk away in a state of peace. At the end of the day, we are all just humans — carrying on daily with a plethora of our own conditioning and unprocessed trauma, trying to do our best with the tools that we have.

LG