To Kill a Mockingbird: An Historical Perspective A View from a Helena Black By Raymond Crump Howard

In response to the recent Ku Klux Klan "wannabees" this past Halloween I experienced the common feelings of disgust and outrage.  However, on a deeper more personal level my emotional reactions are fear, anger, and rage.  Fear when I recall the historical atrocities of bigotry, discrimination, and racial violence committed in the name of White Supremacy.  Anger that these beliefs and behaviors continue to exist.  And rage that I must control or I become no better than the oppressors.

Dr. Raymond Crump Howard, professor emeritus in counseling and psychology, San Diego State University

As a fourth generation Montanan and a Black person whose roots began in Helena in the mid-1860s, this incident reminded me of the generational obligations of black families (and probably most families of People of Color) to prepare our children to be able to successfully walk in both the Black world and in the White world. My great-grandmother, Clariss Jane Crump, born into slavery in Virginia, came to Helena in the mid-1860s as a young girl. When she was quite old and I was quite young, I vividly remember my introductory lessons from her on how to behave and to survive in the world of white people. Then more learning from my grandmother, then more from my father and mothers, and on into my adulthood. Then it became my turn to pass the lessons on to my children and grandchildren. The lessons always have the same theme, how to effectively manage our fear, our anger, and our rage.

In Helena today my family and I can hear racial slurs against Native Americans, derogatory remarks about gays and lesbians, jokes and slurs toward Jewish people, and of course, the ever present references to niggers. Each encounter with these bigoted remarks sparks our fear, our anger, and our potential for rage. Yes, we react with protest, with condemnation, and with anger. But it is our lifelong challenge to control our fear, our anger, and to keep our rage hidden. We must always be better human beings than those who choose to oppress.

I have always taught my children that there are many good and honest white people who will always stand by you during racial strife. However, they are cautioned to choose their friends wisely. To be wary of "friends" who say they are colorblind, who say that they see no difference, that you are just a person to them. Our racial differences are significant and obvious. Our history and culture in America have made it necessary for us to have a view of the world that is alert, protective, and always on guard. Our differences, however, are positive, contributing, and essential to the fabric that binds American people together. In my own life I have many lifelong friends here in Helena and other parts of Montana whose deep respect and acceptance for my racial heritage I value and trust totally.

During the recent display of calculated racism in our town, my family and I have been deeply moved by the overwhelming rejection of such behavior. This has come from a wide variety of people, public officials such as Mayor Colleen McCarthy, from the Montana Human Rights Network, and of course from our friends.

I am confident that Clarissa Jane and James Wesley Crump would be pleased to see the many positive changes that have evolved in Helena from the 1860's to the present. They would be pleased to see that the current generations of their offspring are walking more confidently and safely in the two worlds, and that the two worlds are coming closer in their acceptance of each other. They also would not be surprised to see that racism and bigotry, in its many forms, stubbornly clings to life in the minds and actions of those who choose to persecute and oppress individuals and groups who happen to be different from themselves.

Reprinted with permission of the author.