New era of Black-Latino unity possible in Arizona
Matthew C. Whitaker, ASU history professor, discusses Senate Bill, African-Americans and Latinos…
1. Why is Senate Bill 1070, the new immigration law, significant for African-Americans?
African-Americans’ experiences with racial profiling and human-rights violations help us empathize with Latinos, who are often maligned and under siege.
2. Do you see a connection with the arrest of Phoenix Councilman Michael Johnson, after a confrontation with a police officer?
Without a doubt. SB 1070 and Michael Johnson’s status are inextricably linked. Both issues reflect the negative and opportunistic ways in which government power and authority in Arizona relate to communities of color. This relationship is dysfunctional and fraught with emotion, fear and distrust.
3. How can Latinos and African-Americans work together on this issue?
Each group must maximize existing institutions while forging new, explicitly multiracial organizations, to combat discrimination and seek justice as one voice.
4. What are the biggest obstacles?
The fact is many in Arizona just don’t care or simply don’t get that the state has reclaimed its status as national laughingstock on issues of race, civil rights and human rights. The level of denial and lack of racial consciousness and empathy in Arizona is staggering.
5. Are there lessons from the civil-rights movement to draw on?
Yes. Arizona’s civil-rights movement was more multiracial in nature than elsewhere in America. This forced the power structure to deal with multiple constituencies simultaneously. This led to a number of victories. The movement also understood the power of money. SB 1070 may be the law, and Johnson’s fate may be uncertain, but African-Americans and Latinos have enormous economic power. They should wield it.
6. What is your greatest hope now?
That Black people and Latinos (and their allies) will unite and fight this injudicious and divisive legislation successfully. If we are victorious, I hope it will lead to a new era of unity between Black and Brown in Arizona. The fate of race relations in the state depends largely upon our ability to come together now.
Arizona Republic, May 10, 2010
Dr. Matthew C. Whitaker is an Associate Professor in the Department of History, and an Affiliate Faculty member of African and African American Studies and the Justice and Social Inquiry Program at Arizona State University in Tempe. He is also the CEO of The Whitaker Group, L.L.C., a consulting firm that specializes in diversity and human relations.