Two Tales of One City

Early Saturday morning, a gunshot was fired, and thousands of people took off running out of uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. This might not surprise you based on how Charlotte has been portrayed recently by those who have called for the National Guard and ICE to come clean up the supposed violence in our town. This was not that type of gunshot, though. No, this was the start of the popular Charlotte Marathon that had once again sold out and included around 12,000 runners participating in either the marathon, half-marathon, or 5K.

My son and I had signed up to run the half-marathon back in the summer as a send-off to my son’s senior year cross-country season — something that I had always wanted us to do together. The morning was nothing short of perfection. As we left the pleasant, modern uptown with its hordes of cheering fans, we passed by one of the best community colleges in the country and the first of two excellent hospitals the city boasts. We then turned into one of the loveliest neighborhoods in America with the brilliant fall colors on display along the tree-lined streets of multimillion-dollar homes. Supporters lined the path with witty signs, high fives, and music playing. Dogs, children, and grandparents celebrated as they saw their loved ones along the way.

At each of the numerous churches we passed, volunteers held inspirational signs and shook rattles of support. After passing another college and hospital, we headed up a long hill to the South End area where the vibe was more urban, youthful, and exuberant. We finished past our professional football and minor league baseball stadium and entered an all-out party in the heart of our city. If someone wanted to make a promotional video for the city of Charlotte, they should have just run alongside me. For a few hours, the division and pain and fear of our world today were gone, replaced by love, support, community spirit, and unity. A city all pulling in the same direction.

At the same time, though, on the other side of town, a different group of people began running. Not at the shot of a gun, but at the appearance of ICE officers and border patrol in town. According to the Associated Press, Willy Aceituno, a Honduran-born U.S. Citizen, said he saw border patrol agents chasing Latinos on foot. He said he was later stopped in his car twice by border patrol agents who demanded to see his paperwork. The second time, his car window was broken and he was taken out and thrown to the ground. This is our Charlotte neighbor, a citizen, racially profiled, and denied due process of the law.

At my Lowe’s in a quiet suburb of the city, people were rounded up and detained or arrested without warrant or probable cause except for existing in a brown body. Who was there to support them? Even those who cross the border illegally deserve more respect for their human dignity. According to our legal code, “Improper Entry by an Alien” (8 U.S.C. § 1325) is a misdemeanor, which can result in fines or up to six months in prison. The excess use of force, secrecy, and fear tactics are not punishments that fit the crime. Full stop. Many of those detained are contributors to our society who give more than they take as a whole. Violation of basic rights and dignity is against our American ideals, and it needs to stop now.

And so, two tales, one city. The irony to me of this situation is that the person who first taught my son to run in middle school was an ICE agent. He did not wear face masks, racially profile people, and grab people off the streets like we have seen happen in Chicago and Charlotte today. No, he was a dad and coach whose job was law enforcement through legal channels. The way things should be done. We all want a safe place to raise our children. On that, we can all agree. This is not safety, though. For it to be safe for one, it must be safe for all.

Not leaving your home to get groceries because you do not know who might be waiting in the parking lot is not safety. Sending children to school in the morning where they do not know if a parent or loved one might be apprehended while they are gone simply because of what they look like or what job they have is not safety (ICE in Chicago hung out at Home Depots and tracked painting, landscaping, and construction crews — I strongly encourage a listen to the Criminal podcast’s episode on Rogers Park to get inside the mindset of the people living in these targeted areas). Having our Charlotte citizens who are here legally living in fear that they will forget to carry their identification with them is not safety. Teachers, doctors, and pastors fearing for those in their care is not safety.

And why Charlotte all of a sudden? As a punishment for electing all Democratic leadership in the most recent election — even in the “bankers” district of South Charlotte, which has historically been the reddest part of the city? This can no longer be about performative politics. This is about the moral fiber of our nation right now.

And so, people of Charlotte, who came out in force on every street corner to cheer a bunch of unknown runners through the city, we must channel this energy now to do the same for those who face real consequences. Churches, we need to organize just like we did for an inconsequential road race and get our people out to help their neighbors. Charlotte Christians (of which there profess to be many), we cannot overlook the teachings of Jesus and turn our heads back to our comfortable lives. If there is persecution in our country against Christians right now, it is against these brothers and sisters in Christ. Pastors, we need to be leading with a prophetic voice instead of worrying about who in our congregations we might make mad by being “too political.” Volunteers who filled water cups, we need you to get food for those afraid to go into stores or ask your local store to provide free delivery for the time being. Dads, during your Saturday morning home project runs, stand watch for those you encounter at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Homeowners, know your rights, especially when it comes to service workers who may be on your personal property. Moms, we need to film encounters, warn other moms, and escort children home from school. These must all be our children.

We must do like the Cooperative Baptists, Sikhs, Quakers (and later 27 other denominations) did and sue for our houses of worship to remain safe places for all people. We need to pay attention when we are driving carpool and call the alert numbers to warn the vulnerable. We must stand up to this imposition from outside forces, just like the fierce patriots who declared the “Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence” against oppression in 1775. We need to live up to the characterization from British commander Cornwallis, who described Charlotte as entering a Hornet’s Nest. Do not think that a certain amount of annoyance and stirring the nest will not work — look at Chicago’s playbook. It is time to live up to our Tar Heel name by digging in and showing that we are all Charlotteans, and we will not stand for this type of illegal enforcement in our city.

And to the rest of the country, do not think it cannot happen in your city. If it can happen in the lovely, sleepy Southern town of bankers and hundreds of churches like Charlotte, it can happen where you are. Organize and prepare yourselves now.

 

Rev. Dr. Sarah Blackwell is a graduate of Gardner-Webb Divinity School and the McAfee School of Theology. Charlotte, NC, is her adopted home of over twenty years.