My America tells me that race does matter, and that never at a point in American history has that not been the case. The murders that took place at the Algiers Motel in 1967 was not an isolated event, nor even considered out of the norm, but rather the sounds of history echoing itself.
Watch Detroit – but do not view it solely in historical context. The gut wrenching dehumanization of these teenagers is not an antiquated tactic, but their executions a direct result of centuries of white supremacist protocol. Listen closely as the media blasts words and phrases like, “hooligans” and “you people” over the loud speakers. Watch as they normalize state violence and the slaughter of a Black bodies – open your eyes to the parallel lines of history.
America doesn’t need an HBO series to tell us what the country would look like if the “South had won” – policy and the implementation therein already illustrate that. It is without question the history of white supremacy is rooted in the myth of black criminality. That is exactly why the FBI’s “courtesy” warning call to Virginia state officials would have been very different had it not been the KKK preaching messages of “arm yourself” to their fellow comrades. Can you imagine if Black Lives Matter were granted a permit for assembly in Charlottesville – and showed up tooting guns, torches, swords and body armor? When white supremacy is left unchallenged and ignored it only fuels their growth. Charlottesville is just one example of why I keep asking myself, what more do people need to see? How much longer can you bare witness to these atrocities, to the systematic elimination of entire communities for YOUR own silence to be broken? President Trump ran his campaign boasting on and promising racist policies – yet white America seems shocked at his intentional obscuring message refusing to condemn these white supremacists. This is textbook white supremacist doctrine, reinforced by a fascist leader and supported by policies that have been in place since the inception of this country. The climate in the U.S. has embolden white supremacist’s members, so much so, they have replaced their white sheets with bare faces. We have created an environment conducive to their racial hatred and ignited the perpetuation of its violence – all of which continue to serve as the norm.
Make no mistake, this is not new. America sent a very clear message when it chose to commemorate these confederate statues. No matter the lengths textbooks have sought for revision, there is no way to romanticize human bondage, racial oppression and centuries of racial violence.
Racial ideologies do not exist solely in the hearts and minds of white supremacists, on film or in pages of history textbooks, but encompass members of your family, your co-workers and fellow students. You can’t fight racism if you don’t talk about it and challenge those close to you.
Stop decrying “This Is Not Us.” THIS IS US, THIS IS AMERICA and it’s time we face it.
Challenge The Narrative 