"The Public Health Crisis" (Amanda Caputo)

    In a Fox News segment released in April 2021, news anchor Pete Hegseth responded to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to declare racism as a serious threat to public health. In their statement, they profess that racism affects the well-being of millions of Americans, thereby endangering the physical, mental, and emotional stability of the entire nation. Hegseth addressed this announcement, saying, “Well, the lefties, they were clamoring for it, and the CDC finally did it — they caved into the months-long campaign by the left” (Fox News). With a tone of bitter sarcasm, Hegseth’s rather childish nickname for those fighting for justice as “lefties” implies his belief that the CDC’s decision was a politically motivated compromise with the Democratic party. In doing so, Hegseth politically divides the fight for racism, alienating social justice advocates as individuals that are seemingly not present in both parties. Furthermore, Hegseth dismisses racism as an issue not to be taken seriously by directly mocking the hardships of black individuals. As a wealthy white man in America, Hegseth is able to separate himself from the issue of race in the country — belittling the fight for justice as something people are “clamoring for.” Therefore, he depicts social justice as a chaotic mess of people with no direction — something that is ultimately easy for him to do since his privilege allows him to be a passive observer to black suffering. To conclude his argument, Hegseth states that, “when we forget we are all sinners, we start pointing fingers” (Fox News). While I ultimately agree with this statement as a rather religious person myself, it was extremely hypocritical coming from Hegseth considering he had just scorned and criticized social justice advocates and the entire black community a few moments prior.

    Moments later, Dr. Ben Carson was brought onto Hegseth’s segment — an African American former neurosurgeon, author, and Secretary of Housing and Development. In agreement with Hegseth, Dr. Ben Carson states that the real health crisis “lies in woke America” and ridicules the CDC for not remaining an organization rooted in “evidence and fact” (Fox News). Like Hegseth, Carson seems to discredit those who fight against racism as people who simply want to be “woke” — as if social justice is a fad that individuals want to fit in with. In addition, by implying that the CDC’s decision to declare racism a public health crisis is not based in evidence and fact, Dr. Carson not only directly dismisses the history of slavery in this county, but also disregards the undeniable evidence of physical brutality, verbal cruelty, and systemic racism that still pervades American governmental and society as a whole. Ironically, Dr. Carson poses the question — “What happened to the shiny city on a hill that was the goal for people all over the world?” (Fox News). Although I certainly cannot speak on behalf of the black experience, this appraisal of America as a “shining city” was rather shocking considering the fact that Dr. Ben Carson is a black man in a country rooted in slavery, and one that is currently perpetuating brutality against the black community.

    As a class, we had explored the written autobiography and film adaptation of Malcolm X. Upon hearing this, I could not help but wonder what Malcolm X would think not only in response to this news segment, but also to the current state of racism in American society. Within both of these adaptations, Malcolm X’s story explores the perpetuation of racism, the pain of the black community, and the contortion of public perspective on his identity within the social justice movement. In contemporary society, Malcolm X’s name is often spoken about in radical contexts. Meanwhile, a close look at his life reveals the combination of pain, faith, and growth that truly defines who he was. It seems, then, that Hegseth’s negative declaration towards “the left” stems from a lack of understanding, knowledge, and conversation about the true intentions of those seeking justice — just like those who scorn the identity of Malcolm X as an extremist.

    Within Spike Lee’s film, the incorporation of real footage of police brutality provides the “evidence” that Dr. Ben Carson dismissed here. Showing the beating of Rodney King during the opening scenes of the film, Lee critiques the hypocrisy of the United States by breaking down the fabrications of the false idea that America is a land of freedom, democracy, and opportunity for all. Hence, although Dr. Ben Carson had praised America as a “shining city,” Spike Lee shows that the America that white elitists had created did not include the flourishing of people of color. However, although it is necessary to acknowledge the history of police brutality and remember the names of all those affected, one does not have to look far back to find the “evidence” Ben Carson mentions either — especially in the wake of the tragedy of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and hundreds of other African Americans killed in the last year alone. Hence, in order to create a country where the American dream applies to every individual, it is necessary to acknowledge the history of the American nightmare created for marginalized groups. Ultimately, I truly believe the only way we can achieve this is through active dialogue, legislative change, and the concept of love remaining at the forefront of our revolution.