Rainn Wilson says African American friend's family found a noose in their yard: 'Folks are in denial' about racism
Actor Rainn Wilson has shared a personal story about what a friend’s sister experienced to show that racism continues to exist.
The Office actor explained that a noose had been hung in the front yard of his African American friend Jamey’s sister, and that her 17-year-old daughter found it. Making matters worse, Wilson said officers from an unnamed police department — he only described the area as “suburban Los Angeles” — were nonchalant about the incident.
“When the police were called they said, essentially, ‘what’s the big deal?’ Yolanda lost it. What’s the big deal? Well, officer, the noose is the symbol of lynching which was used to hang thousands of African Americans, especially by the Klan,” Wilson said.
“Granted, this is a pretty lame noose. Might have been made by some local kids or something. Who knows,” he continued. “But the fact is it is as strong a symbol of racial hatred, violence and oppression as a Swastika. Many folks are in denial about the extent to which racism exists in our country in 2019. Just ask a Black Person. They will tell you stories.”
Wilson went on to say that the same friend, Jamey, encountered a man on a golf course last year who said to him, “Hey, you can hurry up, we don’t have you picking cotton anymore!”
“Not sure if he was trying to be funny or not but literally Jamey’s great grandfather was an ACTUAL SLAVE on a plantation and was regularly beaten there. That’s not that long ago. Great grandfather,” Wilson said. “And, perhaps, a relative or two of Jamey’s were lynched. Or saw a lynching. Or heard of a lynching. And now, his niece gets to be reminded of what hate looks like. Right in her own front yard in suburban LA.”
Hidden Figures star Taraji P. Henson was one of the many who commended Wilson for sharing. “THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST. GOD BLESS YOU PURE HEART!!!!” she wrote.
Singer Jordin Sparks chimed in, “Oh my gosh. This is horrible.”
Others were upset by the story, too.
“This is disgusting. Racism is systemic and institutionalized. When people of color tell you it’s real — listen and believe them,” another commenter wrote.
“I’m from the deep south so I’ve seen the ugliness of racism first hand happen to my fiends and it’s definitely not something that anyone should joke about. This is disgusting.”
“This is horrible man... 2019…”
“That is repulsive.”
“Depressing. People need to realize that these things aren’t ‘just a joke’. This is causal racism and can still marginalize and humiliate those experiencing it. It’s takes a community to call their friends and loved ones out that thinking they’re ‘just joking’. We need to take these people to task and end it.”
The FBI reported in November that there was a 17 percent increase in hate crimes across the country between 2016 and 2017, to a total of more than 7,100 incidents, according to voluntary responses from more than 16,000 agencies. More than 59 percent of victims were targeted because of their race or ethnicity.
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