Moral Authority

Two weeks ago, Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson reported that racial slurs were directed at her during a match at BYU. Officials at BYU conducted their own investigation and released a statement saying that there is no evidence that any fan uttered racial slurs at the match. White people are pounding social media, calling her a liar and a fraud. But I believe Rachel Richardson. Because racism is real, her story is credible, and she had no reason to lie. I am also fully aware of how predominantly white institutions use “data” to dismiss the truth coming out of Black people’s mouths. 

I will never forget, back in 2014, when Black women in Flint, Michigan said that the water coming out of their taps was poisoned. City and state leaders, almost all of them white men, cited testing and studies to discredit the truthful testimony of Black women for more than a year. The Flint incident follows the arc of American history – which has taught me to be slow to trust the government, the university, the police force, the church, the corporation. For me, moral authority is anchored in those who are oppressed – not those trying to preserve their power.