A Lack of Empathy
“One reason it’s difficult for any person to truly empathize with another human being, let alone with millions of people, is that empathy requires questioning one’s reality,” according to journalist H.A. Goodman. Because of this lack of empathy, many white people are unable to see that the justice system works differently for Black people. They also fail to see that there are racists who want to harm Black people simply because they are Black, and some of those racists can be in positions of power. The Ku Klux Klan is infused in our society; our lawmakers are generally white, rich males; and we live in a society that has treated people of color as second-class citizens.
With empathy comes responsibility and culpability. If white people begin to empathize with Black people, they would have to admit that the system they created is wrong and unjust. The political system, where racial disparities contradict white ideals that are dear to their hearts, would have to be rebuilt. They can’t believe or admit this because the system generally works for them.
