Guest columnist
A monument to distraction

By Aaron Counts
Special to The Times

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As a black man and a Seattle native, I always take a moment to chuckle every time a local newspaper or television broadcast discusses the actions of local "black leaders." Local people of African descent are so economically, politically and ideologically diverse that I fail to see how a handful of men could be anointed as our leaders ("Black leaders say plan to honor UW coach reopens painful past," Times, page one, Oct. 25).

Similarly, the model of leadership they seem to have undertaken is one of knee-jerk reaction to covert and overt acts of racism, both real and perceived. When one pauses to examine the effectiveness of such a tactic, it becomes clear that a person whose life and career are dedicated to reacting to external forces is not leading, but merely following the will of others.

The Urban League, NAACP and other such groups have done some important and invaluable work. I thank them for that. But I hear the comments, as I'm sure they do, too. The continued accusation of "playing the race card" is leveled despite the reality that no such deck exists. The general perception is that we'll look for any opportunity to cry racism.

That perception is the direct result of actions like those surrounding the Jim Owens (statue) controversy.

The continued grandstanding of those steering these organizations only serves to dilute the attention when matters of real consequence arise.

It has been said that the way to keep a people in check is to keep them debating inconsequential matters. The events (surrounding Owens) prove the truth of that statement. Let's not forget, at the center of this controversy is a statue of a football coach at a football stadium.

I am a sports fan, but if the city's "black leaders" worked on my behalf, they would concern themselves more with issues like the university's decision to drop the direct transfer policy. The policy allowed students who received an associate's degree from a community college to enroll in the University of Washington as a junior, and its end will exclude a huge number of students of color from receiving a university degree.

I have spent years of my life as an educator and counselor working to assist marginalized young people to recognize the power they hold as members of various systems. Acting from a position of strength is the only way to enact lasting change, because it ends our days as victims and affords us the real power we need to direct our lives.

Sure, racism exists, but given that fact, now what? Now we build from personal and cultural strengths, we work to educate ourselves, and we learn how to navigate institutions. We choose to fight battles of consequence so that it is clear we won't be placated with empty gestures.

And those who profess to lead us we hold to high standards, just as we do ourselves.

Aaron Counts lives in Seattle.

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