VOICES: DIFFERENT PEOPLE. DIFFERENT LIES. SAME TITLES. BY JEWEL JORDAN

It is a running joke in society that you can’t trust politicians and lawyers. And, as with most humor, the punchline is rooted in reality. We can easily add to the list of occupations that have been monopolized by liars: police officers that continuously break the verbal contract to serve and protect; faith leaders who will preach prosperity while their congregation starves; and community organizers who will sell out the neighborhood they vowed to uplift just to be a part of the next great real estate scheme that will destroy that same neighborhood.

Different people, telling different lies while holding the same titles: Mayors; City Council members; Chiefs (of This); Deputy Secretaries (of That); titles that have a history of lying, and a history of liars holding those titles. So in this moment of “reconciliation,” in this period of revolution and rebellion, those carrying these titles have felt frustrated that their invitations to “the table” have gone unanswered. They have failed to realize that while they are a different person than their predecessor, they still exhibit similar deceitful behavior.

They hold titles that, historically, looked our parents and grandparents in the eye, as they sat across from them at that “freaking table” and lied to them. And because of that, these invitations no longer carry the same weight that they once did. We all know the “definition of insanity,” so this new generation of activists have decided that the different outcomes will only happen with a different form of action, the fulfillment of promises and pledges before any bread is broken at “the table.”

Let me be extremely clear, this is not a lecture to the people. This is a notice to leaders that your invitations mean nothing if you refuse to switch up the menu. You can use your 280 characters on Twitter to put out the narrative that “they just won’t talk to us” all you want, but you can no longer say that you don’t know why; we are tired of eating fallacies and falsehoods for the main course. 

So, who do we trust? How can the numerous calls and biweekly rallies for “Conversation and Compromise” happen when the words used by members of this chat disintegrate into ash each time those individuals’ exhibit actions that contradict them? How can we move towards equality and equity with those who are in a position of influence and change if they continue to follow the footsteps of the previous title holder by refusing to swap out lies for transparency and fabrications for facts?

Or maybe, we just swap them out this November, with different people, who will embrace truth, who will keep their word, answer every demand, and will break the curse attached to those same titles.