When thinking about systemic injustices local to my hometown I immediately think of the Chagrin Falls Park. I grew up in Chagrin Falls, a small town that is not more than five miles from the Chagrin Falls Park. Chagrin Falls is 97% white, and the majority of Chagrin Falls Park residents are black. The Chagrin Falls Park is completely dissociated to Chagrin Falls despite their close proximity. This is because of systemic injustices placed upon them. Hundreds of years ago the border of Chagrin Falls and Cuyahoga County cut off right outside of the Chagrin Falls Park. Therefore, the children that grow up in the Park cannot attend Chagrin Falls Schools, the closest schools they live to. Instead, they have to attend a school 20 minutes from them. This is because those that established the border, white men, did so with the intent to segregate their black neighbors. While this is an example of systemic racism a while ago, it is still really relevant today.
Recently, when a rally was scheduled to take place in Chagrin Falls to support the Black Lives Matter Movement, every store in the town boarded up their windows (Black 1). They treated the rally with fear. A fear of a violent rally with no trust in those partaking in it. This proved the racism present in Chagrin. The residents and store owners showed their true colors when they assumed a rally held by their black neighbors would turn violent. I, as well as many of my classmates, were distraught. How could people be so scared of those who live five minutes down the road from us? It made little sense but indicated the cowardliness of the people in my hometown. The entire town agreed that if there was a rally, the stores would board up without even hearing out the details of the rally, that is systemic injustice.
This is extremely relevant in today’s world and the Black Lives Matter movement. It is also relevant in the One and the Other theory as well as Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. My town, as well as many other cities and people around the country, treated the protestors as foreigners even though they are their neighbors. They acted as if they feared for their lives when our houses are just five miles apart. I think this indicates how the people of Chagrin Falls felt as if they are the One and the protestors are the Other. They felt as if they were being invaded by their own neighbors. This indicates a switch in power. Also, in Martin Luther King’s letter he emphasized how the white men were cowardly even though they referred to him as a coward. He also fought back on the idea that their protests were ‘“unwise and untimely’” by indicating that there is no “right time” according to the white man (King 1). This is very much related to the response of the Chagrin Falls citizens reacting so poorly to Black Lives Matter protests. They believed it was unnecessary despite the years and years of racism that occurred in the town. From intentional excluded a black community when creating border lines to boarding up stores for a nonviolent protest, systemic racism is present in my hometown.
Short Film:
Article:
https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/06/09/chagrin-falls-park-black-neighborhood-next-to-chagrin-falls-at-heart-of-last-weeks-protest-controversyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q_4VhGDBIw
Black, Shana. “Chagrin Falls Park, Black Neighborhood Next to Chagrin Falls, at Heart of Last Week’s Protest Controversy.” Cleveland Scene, Cleveland Scene, 19 Jan. 2021, www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/06/09/chagrin-falls-park-black-neighborhood-next-to-chagrin-falls-at-heart-of-last-weeks-protest-controversy.
Ortlip, Henry, director. “The Park” – A Film about the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center. YouTube, YouTube, 23 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q_4VhGDBIw