We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…
These words inscribed into the Declaration of Independence reveal a building block of democracy: the equality of all people. When those words were written, however, there was much that was not “self-evident” to the Founders. It was not “self-evident” that enslaved Africans were fully human. It was not “self-evident” that the word “men” did not mean humans so much as land-owning males. While the aspirational equality of the Founders and the Constitution is commendable, the exclusive reality of that equality will remain one of history’s great anomalies. The same nation that proclaimed self-evident equality for all, withheld it from some.
Through the years, this inequality expressed itself in a variety of ways: voting suppression, domestic terrorism, and inaccessible public education amongst others. The equality of all people has not been as “self-evident” as we pretend.
To remedy and heal this injustice, the nation has, in recent decades, instituted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. The goal of these programs, of course, is not to treat people unfairly, but to aid those who have been marginalized for generations. Social and legal wounds demand social and legal redress.
To be sure, many people will parrot Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words when he dreamed of a day when children would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Many interpret this to advocate for a “color-blind” society. They forget that the very same person advocated for the labor movement, reparations for Black people, and a radical transformation of values that shared both wealth and power with vulnerable people. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not advocate for a color-blind society, but a color-wise society. Colorblindness will remain an alluring, but insidious, temptation for us in a country where so many want to move on without necessarily moving forward. Moving forward demands purpose, truth, and a will to redeem.
In the Christian Scriptures we have Zacchaeus, that wee little man who was a Chief Tax Collector. When Jesus came to Zacchaeus’ house, he said to Jesus, “Half of my possessions I will give to the poor and if I’ve defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” In the next verse, Jesus replied, “Today, salvation has come to this house.”
Zacchaeus’ salvation was tied up in remembering his complicity in an unjust system and making it right. His salvation was tied to healing the wounds he had participated in creating. His effort at healing WAS his profession of faith.
Today, it has become “self-evident” to numerous political leaders that DEI work is unfair and unhelpful in building their desired “merit-based society.” Senate Bill 3, currently on the floor of the Arkansas Senate, is just such legislation. It takes a sledgehammer to all DEI programs in the state. The problem with this legislation is that it fails to remember what led us to this moment. It fails to make restitution for our wrongs. It fails to heal the wounds that divide. It is not unfair to help oppressed people groups heal and recover from historical atrocities to ensure that everyone begins at the same starting line. Then, and only then, can “merit” be accurately measured and anything be said to be fair. To those with faulty memories, privilege will feel like merit and be explained as such.
The problem with “self-evidence” is that not everything is self-evident. White people in this country may find it difficult to understand, much less empathize, with the Black experience here. Men may find it unusual to see women in leadership and submit themselves to it. Rich people may have never experienced the brilliance of a child trapped in generational poverty. Natural-born citizens may be ignorant of the gritty determination and resilience it takes to immigrate to another nation. Able-bodied people may overlook the immense creative potential that lives in handicapped folks. Not everything is self-evident, even to brilliant people.
There are some forms of knowledge that can only come through love and empathy, through taking the experience of another person seriously and compassionately. Some ways of knowing demand we de-center ourselves for a moment and listen to another narrative, that we remember the social harm committed by our nation and support the social relief necessary to heal the places where the effects of that harm persist. In short, we need a social ethic of love, which tells the truth, is hospitable to the other, and includes varied perspectives. This is precisely the kind of work that DEI programs do. For this reason, I ask you to contact your Representatives and ask them to oppose SB-3.
Written by Rev. Dr. Preston Clegg and printed in the The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on February 3, 2025.
Click here to read more about Second Baptist – Downtown’s response to the State’s 2025 Legislative Session and for more information on this bill and resources for contacting representatives.