GUEST OPINION: Cotati City Council should censure Barich for 'blackface'

<p>At sundown Wednesday, as the Cotati City Council convenes its bi-monthly meeting, Jews in Sonoma County will be sitting down to observe Passover, the seven-day holiday that commemorates the exodus from Egypt of our ancestors and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.</p><p>This tradition is our charter story. It defines much of who we are as a people and has served as a constant reminder of our connection to those who are disenfranchised, lack empowerment or who have been the victims of social injustice.</p><p>It is therefore fitting that on this day, the Social Action Committee of Congregation Shomrei Torah approaches the City Council of Cotati to state in no uncertain terms that we are deeply troubled by an article in the March 26 issue of The Press Democrat that reported on the behavior of Cotati Councilman George Barich who, through his actions, has created racial tensions in Sonoma County by picturing himself in “blackface” in his blog.</p><p>Most of us understand that this and similar kinds of racist depictions are egregious and offensive; in this case, the outrage is magnified because the perpetrator is an elected official.</p><p>Blackface characterizations target African-Americans with an ugly reminder of America’s racist history, with its negative and dehumanizing portrayals with which black Americans are all too familiar.</p><p>Blackface is an overtly insensitive, hurtful, racist and demeaning caricature. There is no humor, affection or grace in blackface.</p><p>The African-American experience in this country has often been painful and tortured — literally. The effects of racism have been particularly severe and long lasting because most racist acts have been perpetrated under the law, structured in a way that legitimized racism. For example, in the Dred Scott decision of 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ensured that a black slave escaping to a free state would be denied freedom there and would be returned to slavery.</p><p>The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 affirmed the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal,” when, in reality, black men and women were corralled into separate but very unequal treatment.</p><p>Those decisions of the high court stood until the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.</p><p>These examples only provide a small sliver of an explanation of why the Jewish community is deeply suspicious of the motives of an elected official who is allowed to espouse racially inflammatory sentiments. It raises, among other things, the specter of legal intimidation and subjugation.</p><p>This member of Cotati’s City Council seems to have acquired immunity in spite of his despicable and racist blog. Freedom of speech and expression is one of our most closely-held values; However, when an elected public figure makes irresponsible declarations that are not immediately repudiated, then those actions are as good as legitimized and stand as examples for other’s behavior. Compounding this ugly and repugnant behavior is the realization that elected officials have the capacity to easily propose laws and ordinances that could reverse the slow progress that America has achieved in its goal of eradicating hate and discrimination. </p><p>Today, we call upon the city of Cotati to reaffirm its commitment as a community that rejects hate. Today we call upon the other four Cotati council members to loudly and clearly censure the antics of their fellow council member. A failure to condemn this council member — in effect — condones his actions.</p><p>Finally, we implore all citizens of Cotati to rise up and voice their outrage and join us in demanding that this council member take the honorable route and step down from his position.</p><p>David Salm is a member of the social action committee of Congregation Shomrei Torah and a Santa Rosa resident.</p>