Each semester I teach a Speech course to high school juniors and seniors, starting with a brief overview of the communication process, including nonverbal communication.
This week I’ve been thinking about one aspect I don’t spend much time on with my students: nonverbal communication through appearance. In a way, this concept is the opposite of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” For example, if I come to work on the day of the Iowa/Iowa State football game wearing an Iowa State t-shirt, I have identified myself as cheering for the Cyclones. My appearance has spoken before I uttered a word. Of course at times this kind of judgment leads us astray, but we have all gauged a person’s intentions or allegiances based upon appearance. Our appearance also speaks silently through symbols. We’ve seen this in the news on a large scale as the South Carolina legislature worked to remove the Confederate battle flag from the State House grounds. From a growing understanding that this symbol is rife with a racist and hate-filled history, this state government is choosing to no longer associate themselves with the flag of those who viewed blacks as property. This is happening on a smaller scale here in Okoboji where I have asked a local business owner to remove a towel displaying the Confederate flag from his marina showroom. This seems like a small thing to some observers. They have said, “It’s just a flag!” or “Get a life! Don’t you have more important things to worry about?” But then I return to the nonverbal messages these symbols send. The flag might be made of innocuous fabric, but the message being sent is not innocuous. As my friend and church leader Anthony Parrott wrote, “Words, images, and symbols have meaning. It’s why humans bother having them around. When I call you a dirty, nasty name, it offends you. And it should. It would be absurd for me to tell you, ‘It’s just a word.’ The very point of the word is to communicate. If I were to post a graphic image to your Facebook wall, you would probably be offended. I could protest, ‘It’s just a graphical representation. It’s just pixels. It’s just electromagnetic waves.’ But that doesn’t change the offensive nature of the image.” The offensive nature of the Confederate flag, similarly, isn’t changed by claiming the symbol is being used from a place of pride and heritage. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle find themselves coming to similar conclusions on this topic. On July 1, Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul, speaking at an event held at the very marina displaying the Confederate towel, said, “I think the time has come for the Confederate flag to go, particularly with this young murderer who decided to wrap himself in the flag. I think the symbolism of it, it’s impossible to separate it from slavery and bondage and now murder.” Recently I have found myself resorting to categorizing people: safe influences for my children and unsafe influences for my children. This might be a gross oversimplification, but for now it is my reality. Those who have chosen to nonverbally associate themselves with the Dylan Roofs of the world, with the KKK and the slave owners and the overt racists, they go into the unsafe category. You can tell me with words you are not racist, but when I see you sporting the Confederate flag on the back of your truck or in a meme on your Facebook wall, the nonverbal message shouts a contrary message. And yes, it may be your First Amendment right to display the flag, but you must consider carefully the message - even an unintended one - you are sending. As my students prepare to stand in front of the class and deliver speeches, I urge them to consider their appearance. Don’t dress like a slob. Show us you care about your speech by caring about your appearance. Those same instructions apply to life outside of the classroom, too. Your symbols can speak louder than your words, so choose them carefully.
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September 2020
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