To whom it may concern:

I need to get this off my chest and it's uncertain who this actually may concern.

A good friend of mine called today. I could tell this person was upset the moment I answered the phone. "You're not going to believe this shit" was the first thing I heard.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what I was about to hear. You see, this isn't the first time this kind of conversation has happened. It's not the second time either. Truth be told, it's probably closer to the 100th time this kind of conversation has happened. And each time, it doesn't get any easier to hear.

Today's story goes something like this:

A middle aged black man applies for a job in our community and doesn't get it because of racism.

-So let me check in real quick...how are you feeling about reading that first sentence? Honestly. Were you upset at the pervasive systemic racism that continues to exist in our All American City? Or did you begin to judge? Did you already have a picture of this black dude in your mind? Have you already come up with a "legitimate" reason as to why he wasn't hired? It's important to know where you are at before I continue.

Back to the story:

This black man is relatively new to our community and in his 40+ years of life, he's picked up some significant skills along the way. (It's unfortunate that I have to include that he is skilled, but our reality makes that necessary)

It turns out that this guy was going through the hiring process of a local company and was asked to stop in and complete a test that would help determine his abilities. He remembers leaving that day after the test feeling confident. You see, he's done that kind of work in the past. For years.

Days after the exam he was asked to stop back to this local business and complete some additional paperwork. When he arrived that day he was asked to go to a specific office to check in.

He walked in the office and found a noose hanging from the wall.

Let that sink in for a moment. A black man enters an office and finds a noose. In 2020. In Dubuque.

He left the office without completing the paperwork and as he was leaving he encountered a couple guys laughing in his direction.

You know what this reminds me of as I write this? This reminds me of a black guy that came in the office THIS MORNING needing some help. He shared how he recently worked at a burger place and how even though he has 10 years experience of cooking, he was the dishwasher; he was the one that cleaned the bathrooms. "I don't even think about it being a race thing anymore, man. I just want to cook. But then some 17-year-old gets hired and he's on the grill and is never asked to do what I do? It doesn't make sense."

But back to the black guy that showed up for a new job opportunity and found a noose waiting for him.

Shortly thereafter, the guy received a call from the company stating that he failed his exam and that the position was no longer available.

As you may be able to imagine, the black man was feeling all kinds of emotions. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what his next step should be. He wasn't sure if he should file a complaint because he doubted it would change anything and he was afraid that it may negatively impact his family.

Just curious-have you ever been afraid of speaking out because you felt that it may hurt your family? I can't say that I have ever worried about that.

In the time that he's been in Dubuque, this guy connected with a local organization that serves people in need. It turns out that after he left that very scary experience, it was that organization that he first called. He needed to share what happened and was open for some guidance.

Unfortunately for him, he called the wrong place. You see, sometimes organizations that are tasked with serving people are more into serving themselves than anyone else.

It was considered better business for that organization to encourage he "consider this water under the bridge" when asked if he should return to file a grievance.

And wouldn't you know that the owner of this company got word that this guy was considering to file a complaint and shared that the job was once again available and asked if he was interested in joining the team.

What do you think happened next?

Here's what happened next:

The black man with all the skills and experience agreed to take a meeting with the owner of that company today. He felt it was important to let him know that what he experienced was not okay.

Guess how the owner responded:

1. I am very sorry for what happened and I take full responsibility.

2. Please know that I have addressed this issue and can guarantee it will never happen again.

3. We've had that noose up for years as just a joke.

If you guessed number 1 or number 2, you are sadly mistaken.

And so what's the point in sharing all of this? I guess the point for me is that these are the stories that must be told too. In order to cast out the darkness in our world, we must accept the fact that the darkness in fact exists.

It's too easy to share the stories of good; the stories of volunteers making a difference and at the end of the day everyone feeling good. I mean, I tell those kinds of stories all the time! But at the end of the day, not everyone is feeling good. There's some that feel absolutely terrified, beaten down and oppressed.

We've got so much more work to do.

#BlackLivesMatter