I earned a degree in political science, served as an officer in the U.S. Army, earned a law degree, practiced and taught law, chaired a state agency, presided as a state appellate and trial judge, and have been actively involved in congregational and interfaith religious efforts.
These experiences allowed me to meet and evaluate more than a few business, civic and religious leaders and to learn a hard truth: Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, women, LGBTQI, immigrant and working people who experience systemic abuse, bigotry, discrimination and mistreatment often are disappointed when we look to business, civic and religious leaders for help in our fight against injustice.
Business, civic and religious leaders supported the system of invading and robbing Indigenous people.
Wendell Griffen
Business, civic and religious leaders supported the system of enslaving African people, stealing their labor, and denying their human dignity and freedom.
Business, civic and religious leaders supported the system that would not allow women and girls personal, political, commercial and religious equality with men and boys.
Business, civic and religious leaders supported the system that maligned, abused, discriminated against, terrorized and tortured LGBTQI people.
Business, civic and religious leaders supported policies and practices that mistreated immigrants.
Business, civic and religious leaders supported policies and practices that oppressed, endangered, and dishonored workers and working families.
Leaders have the power to punish systemic misconduct. Instead, they have allowed it, defended it and refused to punish it.
Leaders know police mistreat, terrorize, torture and kill unarmed people. They have the power to punish that systemic conduct. Instead, they have allowed it, defended it and refused to punish it. That is why more than two years after George Floyd was murdered, the nation still has not enacted laws to stop abusive and homicidal law enforcement conduct.
Leaders know people deserve the freedom to choose whether to procreate. Instead, people have perverted law and religion to justify forcing people to procreate, even when women, girls and transgender persons are victims of rape and incest or are endangered by bearing children. Contrary to what people who call themselves “pro-life” claim, unexpected pregnancies are a “crisis” whenever pregnant women, girls and transgender persons cannot exercise their freedom to not give birth without endangering their lives or risking being condemned as criminals.
Leaders know stealing land is wrong, whether the land theft happened to Indigenous people in the United States or is happening to Palestinians. Instead, U.S. presidents from Harry Truman through Joe Biden have taken the side of illegal Jewish settlers over indigenous Palestinians the same way U.S. presidents beginning with George Washington took the side of White settlers against Indigenous people.
Leaders know allowing businesses to poison air, water and the ground leads to suffering and death for plants, animals and humans. Instead, business, civic and religious leaders have ignored that suffering and supported the commercial and political actors responsible for it.
Leaders know assault rifles are not used to hunt wildlife. Assault rifles are designed, manufactured and marketed as combat weapons. However, business, civic and religious leaders claim those weapons should be accessible for commercial purposes and personal sport, and they falsely claim such weapons are needed for personal defense.
These conclusions are not comfortable to reach. They are not comfortable to share and ponder. Yet they are correct.
These conclusions are not comfortable to reach. They are not comfortable to share and ponder. Yet they are correct.
Systemic injustice happens because business, civic and religious leaders permit it to happen.
Some leaders decide to act unjustly. Others decide to cooperate with unjust policies, plans and practices because they hope to gain advantages, benefits and perks. Other leaders ignore systemic injustice to avoid being unpopular. Some leaders know policies, programs and practices are unjust, but they do not want to do the hard work required to challenge and root out injustice.
These and other factors explain why people who experience systemic injustice often cannot count on business, civic and religious leaders for help. These and other factors cause people who experience systemic injustice to lose hope. They have been disappointed too many times by too many leaders. Eventually, it is easier to become cynical than to collaborate with business, civic and religious leaders. Cynicism lessens the risk of disappointed hopes.
However, cynicism does not produce justice. Cynicism does not motivate us to build alliances with others in the fight against injustice. Cynicism may lessen our risk of disappointment, but that is a far cry from achieving justice.
In that sense, cynicism creates false comfort. People who aim at nothing are never disappointed. It is impossible to miss if one shoots at nothing.
Unapologetic skeptics have a power that oppressors and their business, civic and religious allies cannot control.
Instead of cynicism, I suggest another alternative. People who resist systemic injustice should be unapologetic skeptics whenever we collaborate with business, civic and religious leaders. Without apology, we should question their commitment to joining our quest to overturn unjust practices, policies and programs. We should reject invitations to “sit and meet” with business, civic and religious actors who have aligned themselves with abusive, discriminatory and vicious conduct. We should be alert to recognize business, civic and religious people who are hypocrites about justice.
Unapologetic skepticism should also cause us to subject well-meaning business, civic and religious actors to rigorous critique. In the first place, this is the best way to assess whether they respect us as equals.
Business, civic and religious leaders who insist on the right to be free from honest criticism about their values, practices and relationships are not asking for collaboration. They are demanding subservience and worship. We should refuse their demands without apology and without hesitation.
Unapologetic skeptics have a power that oppressors and their business, civic and religious allies cannot control. Unapologetic skeptics reject the idea that business, civic and religious leaders know what is best and are inclined to do what is right. Instead, we recognize and do not hesitate to declare when business, civic and religious leaders have taken sides with oppressors against those who are oppressed.
In the final analysis, unapologetic skeptics refuse to blindly follow business, civic and religious leaders. We should respect leaders when their conduct warrants respect.
Business, civic and religious figures who disrespect and dishonor our human dignity and quest for justice do not deserve respect, trust or collaboration. They deserve our criticism and condemnation. We should never hesitate or apologize for exercising the power to do so.
Wendell Griffen is an Arkansas circuit judge and pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Ark.
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