One of the most important books we cats have read lately is James, by Percival Everett — a re-imagining of Mark Twain's classic Huckleberry Finn. Sitting atop the New York Times bestseller list for months, it won the National Book Award for fiction last year. We cats knew it was brilliant from its first pages. Please, American high schools everywhere, teach it alongside Twain's novel from here on in.
What struck us most about James — aside from the fact that its enslaved characters speak in Margaret Mitchell-type dialect to white people, but the King's English to each other — is the constant feeling of being under siege. In James, as in life, enslaved Black Americans could be beaten, abused, raped, or lynched, at any time, for any reason (or pretext). The stress of living under this, and the constant vigilance it required, must have been exhausting. In James, as readers, we feel it — no matter our race. It's a true learning experience.
Why do we bring this up? Because with the chaos that Donald Trump has unleashed on our government and our nation, maybe white people are feeling vulnerable now, too.
Think about it.
White Americans, whether you voted for Trump or not: Are you worried that your Social Security payment won't land in your bank account on the appointed day? Do you wonder if your VA healthcare provider will be there when you need him or her in the future? Are you nervous that 20-year-olds with Musk laptops have gotten hold of your confidential IRS information? Are you a participant in an NIH clinical trial that's been halted? Are you a federal employee whose job has been eliminated/restored/eliminated again, without reason or explanation? Are you a pregnant woman in a red state? If something goes wrong, will your providers withhold the care you need and leave you to die?
If the answer to any of these questions (and more) is yes — maybe you're feeling kind of like James and his fellow enslaved Black Americans did. Left exposed through no fault of your own, and only because of who you are. Not a good experience, right?
In the time of Trump, we are all James — we are all under threat. Even if we don't realize it. Please, white America, wake up. We cats HISS.
(PS: In case you were wondering, yes. All of America's problems are because of racism. Jimmy Carter told us.)
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