The Glass Ceiling of Revolution

by bonita lee penn, The Soul Pitt
November 2007

Tuesday, November 13, 2007, the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh's Office of Racial Diversity and Inclusion offered to the public the first in a series of panel discussions on the topic of racial discrimination. Tuesday's topics of discussion were the issues surrounding the Jena 6 incident and the question, 'Could it happen in Pittsburgh?'

By now the public has been made well aware of the incident that took place in the small southern Louisiana town of Jena, including the injustice handed down to the six black teenage students compared to the slap on the back given to the white students. They are well aware that the enforcement of civil rights for blacks are not on the judicial system's priority list. They are well aware that the accomplishments made through the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 60's are but a puff of smoke in today's world. As we have come full circle and those issues our ancestors fought and marched for, have not yet been met.

To answer panel's questions, "Yes, it could and it has happened in Pittsburgh and in the majority of cities large and small, urban and rural within the borders of the United States of America on a regular basis."

The Jena 6 Panel was a ground breaking step on the part of the YWCA in an effort to focus on their mission statement of eliminating racism and empowering women. The panelist for this session was Esther L. Bush, President and CEO of the Urban League of Pittsburgh; M. Gayle Moss, President of the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP; and Mike Healy, Attorney for Pittsburgh's ACLU. The common consensus of the panel was that the incident in Jena came as no surprise; these types of incidents are happening everyday all around the country; and the rise in hate crimes fires have been feed by the current political climate with roots in the White House throughout the Supreme Court.

The panelist took turns in voicing several common opinions such as the need to revamp the hate crime laws to include the hanging of a noose, based on its place in American history and the need to educate youths of all ethnic backgrounds. They felt the inclusion of a higher level of diversity training on all businesses levels would be an asset in halting the cycle of hate crimes and a way to bring forth cultural awareness to those in need.

As all discussions of this nature that could explode out of control was restricted to the confinements of political correctness, meaning nothing was said by the panel to raise the eyebrows of big brother, no one shouted "Black Power!" Sure discrimination, hate crimes, the Jena 6 are terrible, hurtful things that happened to be directed towards Blacks and minorities and all that we are offered, is more diversity training and further panel discussions.

This writer and others would like to know exactly when are we going to make demands and when will it be OK, not to be politically correct when demanding rights as a human being? When will our children be able to attend school and not have to worry about a noose hanging, where they don't have to be the butt of racial jokes, or hurtful words? Who will stand up for our children and demand fair treatment? When will a group of new leaders rise from the younger generation and lead?

The panel discussion offered to the audience a warm over of previously heard statements. As the hate crimes rise, as the discrimination continues, as the violence covers our neighborhoods all we can do is sit and discuss. How can a discussion about the judicial system be held without representation from that sector? How can we speak of violence and crimes against the black man and the audience and panel is 90% female?

The panel addressed each issue as politely and pleasing as possible, an issue so horrendous as racial discrimination, as ugly as violence against another human being, as ignorant as the disregard for others civil rights, sooner or later you going to have to get down and ugly too.