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Reactions to Cleveland hero Charles Ramsey show America's race problems Reactions to Cleveland hero Charles Ramsey show America's race problems
(5 months later)
Everything you need to know about race in America is in this one video.Everything you need to know about race in America is in this one video.
It begins as many news clips begin; a reporter identifies himself and then identifies his interview subject. Charles Ramsey, an African American man with long hair and what looks like a single gold tooth who has been caught up in an extraordinary crime.It begins as many news clips begin; a reporter identifies himself and then identifies his interview subject. Charles Ramsey, an African American man with long hair and what looks like a single gold tooth who has been caught up in an extraordinary crime.
However, Charles Ramsey is not the criminal or the victim in this case – he is a witness and a rescuer, an unlikely hero in a lower middle class suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Charles, perhaps still jittery with adrenalin, perhaps confused by the sights and sounds of the previous hours, perhaps thrown off by the many reporters pointing their cameras and their microphones in his face, can't keep still. He turns around frequently to respond to yet another journalist asking for his attention. He responds to a tap on his shoulder. He looks down at something on his leg – perhaps a cord tangled in his foot.However, Charles Ramsey is not the criminal or the victim in this case – he is a witness and a rescuer, an unlikely hero in a lower middle class suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Charles, perhaps still jittery with adrenalin, perhaps confused by the sights and sounds of the previous hours, perhaps thrown off by the many reporters pointing their cameras and their microphones in his face, can't keep still. He turns around frequently to respond to yet another journalist asking for his attention. He responds to a tap on his shoulder. He looks down at something on his leg – perhaps a cord tangled in his foot.
It is the video of the day, following an almost implausibly eventful and disconcerting day. It emerges that Charles was the witness and rescuer, whose actions brought to an end the 10-year ordeal of three women, kidnapped and long presumed dead.It is the video of the day, following an almost implausibly eventful and disconcerting day. It emerges that Charles was the witness and rescuer, whose actions brought to an end the 10-year ordeal of three women, kidnapped and long presumed dead.
His heroic actions cannot be overstated. When faced with a presumed incidence of domestic violence, he responded by attempting rescue. When he realises the true gravity of what he's stepped into, he helps Amanda Berry contact the police and get help. And when faced with a barrage of reporters asking inane questions and literally fighting over each other in order to get his attention, he makes one of the most astute sociological observations that I have ever heard:His heroic actions cannot be overstated. When faced with a presumed incidence of domestic violence, he responded by attempting rescue. When he realises the true gravity of what he's stepped into, he helps Amanda Berry contact the police and get help. And when faced with a barrage of reporters asking inane questions and literally fighting over each other in order to get his attention, he makes one of the most astute sociological observations that I have ever heard:
"Bro, I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man's arms," he said. "Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. Deeeeeeeeeeaaaaaad giveaway. Either she's homeless, or she's got problems. That's the only reason she'd run to a black man.""Bro, I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man's arms," he said. "Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. Deeeeeeeeeeaaaaaad giveaway. Either she's homeless, or she's got problems. That's the only reason she'd run to a black man."

I admit when I heard him say this, I laughed out loud, and I assumed that when people began talking about this video clip, they were laughing at the same thing. But it's come to my attention that were not.
I admit when I heard him say this, I laughed out loud, and I assumed that when people began talking about this video clip, they were laughing at the same thing. But it's come to my attention that were not.
Turns out that many people are laughing at Ramsey, rather than with him, and I think this is in part this is because they haven't experienced race in America the same way that black people have experienced race. To my mind, Charles Ramsey isn't Antoine Dodson, asking us to "hide your kids, hide your wife". This isn't a guy who is looking for 15 minutes in the spotlight by making an unprompted declaration. To my mind, Charles Ramsey is the Chris Rock or Eddie Murphy of his moment – using comedy to make a keen and perfectly accurate observation of the nature of racial inequality in America. Just because he's making it in an unfamiliar language and with an emphatic tone doesn't make it any less poignant or valid.Turns out that many people are laughing at Ramsey, rather than with him, and I think this is in part this is because they haven't experienced race in America the same way that black people have experienced race. To my mind, Charles Ramsey isn't Antoine Dodson, asking us to "hide your kids, hide your wife". This isn't a guy who is looking for 15 minutes in the spotlight by making an unprompted declaration. To my mind, Charles Ramsey is the Chris Rock or Eddie Murphy of his moment – using comedy to make a keen and perfectly accurate observation of the nature of racial inequality in America. Just because he's making it in an unfamiliar language and with an emphatic tone doesn't make it any less poignant or valid.
A couple of months ago I attended a training session at Harvard University, where the person who run the training session thought it was unproblematic to observe:A couple of months ago I attended a training session at Harvard University, where the person who run the training session thought it was unproblematic to observe:
"Some people think that rape is just about black men jumping out of bushes attacking you. We want you to know that that is not the case.""Some people think that rape is just about black men jumping out of bushes attacking you. We want you to know that that is not the case."
That sentence troubled me then, and it troubles me now, even though I now know the speaker better and know that her intention was not to hurt or cause offense. It is an archetypical example of the "Fear of the Black Man" that remains a pervasive social issue.That sentence troubled me then, and it troubles me now, even though I now know the speaker better and know that her intention was not to hurt or cause offense. It is an archetypical example of the "Fear of the Black Man" that remains a pervasive social issue.
My criminal law professor, recognised as one of the finest legal minds in the US, jokes about always having two seats on the bus to himself, before teaching one of the most harrowing cases of mistaken intent, where a white man shot and paralysed a black boy owing to his fear. We, the six black students in his class, laughed at his joke. I think the boys did because they knew it to be true, and me because I've seen it happen to my brothers, and, to a lesser extent, it has happened to me. Once, and admittedly this was in England, I was standing outside my Oxford college with five of my black friends with whom I had randomly met up, and after a few minutes we joked "guys, we'd better split up or people will think we're in a gang".My criminal law professor, recognised as one of the finest legal minds in the US, jokes about always having two seats on the bus to himself, before teaching one of the most harrowing cases of mistaken intent, where a white man shot and paralysed a black boy owing to his fear. We, the six black students in his class, laughed at his joke. I think the boys did because they knew it to be true, and me because I've seen it happen to my brothers, and, to a lesser extent, it has happened to me. Once, and admittedly this was in England, I was standing outside my Oxford college with five of my black friends with whom I had randomly met up, and after a few minutes we joked "guys, we'd better split up or people will think we're in a gang".
We're not laughing at these things just because they are in and of themselves funny. We laugh because we expect the type casting. We laugh at the inside joke because we know how absurd and improbable it would be that five mature students at Oxford would be in a gang, or that every black man that a white woman ran towards was a rapist or an attacker. We laugh for the same reason that people laugh when we see Mr Bean trying to fit all his travel gear into a small handbag. We laugh because the unexpected is the predicate of all humour. But we also laugh because if you don't laugh, you will have to cry. Cry at the fact that despite this improbability, the assumption will still be made.We're not laughing at these things just because they are in and of themselves funny. We laugh because we expect the type casting. We laugh at the inside joke because we know how absurd and improbable it would be that five mature students at Oxford would be in a gang, or that every black man that a white woman ran towards was a rapist or an attacker. We laugh for the same reason that people laugh when we see Mr Bean trying to fit all his travel gear into a small handbag. We laugh because the unexpected is the predicate of all humour. But we also laugh because if you don't laugh, you will have to cry. Cry at the fact that despite this improbability, the assumption will still be made.
I'm not laughing at Charles Ramsey because I think his accent is funny, or because he's some kind of minstrel that has managed to entertain. I'm laughing because his acerbic wit has summarised one of the most complex sociological phenomena in the US, and it's funny because it's true.I'm not laughing at Charles Ramsey because I think his accent is funny, or because he's some kind of minstrel that has managed to entertain. I'm laughing because his acerbic wit has summarised one of the most complex sociological phenomena in the US, and it's funny because it's true.
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