Michael E. Sawyer

“Anthony’s answer to this problem is a classic in response to racism: professionalism. There is not a Black person on Earth who at one time or another has not been told something like, “You have to be twice as good as everyone else.” This statement is similar to what former first lady Michelle Obama set as the edict, “When they go low, we go high.” Such responses are important, ethical, and marginally efficient notions to get through these problems, but they don’t do much of anything about them. It is delusional to think that folks like Dan and Andrew will come around to having some sense and grace because Lewis is doing well. It is unfortunately exactly the opposite. We will see that as things get better for someone like Lewis, the racist backlash from folks like Dan and Andrew only grows exponentially. (One wonders what other Black people who have the misfortune of encountering people like Dan and Andrew must have to put up with.) But Lewis, at some point, decided he was going to go high just like his dad and First Lady Obama propose, while at the same time he was going to do something about the whole mess.”
― Michael E. Sawyer, Sir Lewis