Is America On the Cusp of a Tipping Point?

Missing links threaten to derail the movement

In an interview with the Charlotte Observer, Michael Jordan, former NBA star, has said the current protests are a tipping point for racism in the U.S.

“It sucks your soul. You can’t accept it anymore. This is a tipping point. We need to make a stand. We’ve got to be better as a society regarding race.

“Face up to your demons. Extend a hand. Understand the inequalities. Sure, it’s about bargaining for better police, but it’s more. We have encountered racism to be somewhat acceptable in certain circles.”

Before examining Michael Jordan’s prediction, let’s understand what makes up a tipping point.

Dictionary.com defines ‘tipping point’ as “the point at which an issue, idea, product, etc., crosses a certain threshold and gains significant momentum, triggered by some minor factor or change.”

A tipping point is a congruence of multiple trends, actions, and processes that cumulatively trigger a major and unstoppable transformation. In human history, the shift from hunter-gatherer to agriculture and from agriculture to the industrial society are tipping points. In recent world history, a classic example of the tipping point is the outbreak of World War-I. From the early twentieth century, conditions for a world conflict were gradually building up in Europe. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo was the tipping point that triggered the war.

Michael Jordan is not alone in expression optimism about an imminent change in America’s race relations. The air is thick with hope and optimism that radical transformation is about to happen.

The refrain “this time it’s different” is reverberating across the protest venues and the media.

George Floyd protests have been gathering momentum in the last two weeks. Unlike earlier protests against police brutality against blacks, the current wave does not seem to lose its energy. The protesters seem determined to carry forward their agenda to force a change in the racial question. The protests are have also spread to hundreds of cities like the earlier protests.

Therefore, the seductive appeal of the “this time it’s different’ slogan appears irrefutable.

However, there are several missing links in the chain that may prevent the protests from gaining momentum to culminate in an irreversible tipping point:

1. The protests are scattered across the nation. There is no national organization to coordinate the protests. These are ordinary people who have taken a significant risk and sacrificed a lot to come out and protest. They have their lives to lead. How long can they endure the hardships of lost incomes and disrupted routines? Governments will not talk to or negotiate with local crowds of protesters.
2. The most important missing piece is the absence of a black leader with the moral, intellectual, and political capital to lead a nation-wide movement. In the eyes of the rulers, leaderless protests lack legitimacy. They either ignore the protests and wait for the enthusiasm to dissipate on its own or crush them with force.
3. The regime seems unrelenting despite the massive protests. It lacks a moral compass to introspect on what’s wrong with society.
4. The protesters need to reframe the slogan “black lives matter” because it appears as divisive to some sections of the society. The issue is not merely racial equality and justice, it is about national unity, reconciliation, and healing. It is not only about the black community because the nation’s future depends on racial harmony. So we must coin a new slogan that will have wide appeal. For example, it can be something like “make America an inclusive nation” o “ racial equality will make America great”, etc.

Leadership by a national organization led by a charismatic leader can transform the protest movement into a tipping point of massive change. I hope the protesters and their well-wishers recognize the importance of organization, leadership, and coordination with allies and supporters in society. Nobody wants the protests to fade away like a false dawn.

Thanks for reading.