Unfortunately, over recent weeks racism has risen its ugly head in American society. Truthfully, to say racism has “risen” is incorrect. Racism has never left American society.
Also, over recent weeks because of the utterances of several people, including top national leaders, it became obvious there’s great misunderstanding, even ignorance of America’s history.
Important to understand America’s history
It’s very important to understand American history. By understanding this history, it will be noted the racism that still plagues American society is intertwined with the nation’s history.
There isn’t enough space within this editorial to account for America’s history, but there are two words that underscore this history. The words are HATE and PRIVILEGE.
The original white invaders
The original invaders of America were white people, who found the land occupied by native Indians. The Indians tried to defend their land, but were no match for the weaponry and might of the white invaders. The Indians were attacked and killed wantonly. The action generated hatred for white people by native Indians and hatred for the Indians by white invaders.
Capturing and owning the land, the white occupiers developed a sense of privilege. Anyone who was not white were imposters.
Male, white privilege
This privilege was more pronounced among white male. White women had limited privileges, being totally submissive to their men.
Years passed, and in the plantation-based American society in the southern half of America labor was scarce. The sun was hot, and general conditions on farms were tough. These conditions weren’t conducive to white labor, including laborers brought in from Ireland. Major profit existed in the growth and export of cotton. To take advantage of this profit, black labor was imported forcibly from Africa and coerced on the plantations. Slavery was born in America. The condition for slaves on these plantations generated new hatred for white Americans.
Slavery institutionalized
Meanwhile, some white Americans continued to firmly believe in their privileged class status. To slave owners, blacks were chattels, factors of production, inferior beings. This division, sadly, became institutionalized.
Amazingly. most of the white population were Christians, mostly Baptists They worshipped every Sunday. The white church was a privileged place. The congregation boosted their privilege by believing when the Bible mentioned servants should obey their masters, it referred to Black slaves obeying white masters.
Civil war to counter abolitionists
When abolitionists, including President Abraham Lincoln, attempted to abolish slavery, whites in the southern states rebelled. A bloody civil war raged as white nationalists fought to preserve their privilege. They found it inconceivable black slaves could live in a free society, and one day have the same privileges as them.
Southern whites lost the civil war. Slavery was de-institutionalized. Black people were free; but more in theory. Southern whites were aggressively reluctant to give up their privilege. They insisted on a segregated society, with blatantly defined barriers. Black people continued to be treated despicably. Hatred continued to grow between the races.
Rosa Parks give birth to a movement
One day, a brave black woman, Rosa Parks, tired and weary, penetrated white privilege by taking a seat on a bus. Rosa sparked a civil rights movement that broke down the segregated barriers. But the civil rights movement didn’t break the hatred. It didn’t remove the privilege some people believe belongs to them.
Men who tried to boost racial equality; men like, Presidents John Kennedy and Lynden Johnson, and civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King passed on, but hatred still lived among the races.
First black resident infringed on while privileges
The work of these men reached a crescendo in 2008 when America elected a black president. But privileged whites saw this election as an unforgivable infringement of their ‘sacred’ privileges. Their hatred for the black race grew, and across America pockets of white people determined to protect their perceived privileges mushroomed.
When the Obama period ended, a White Republican who the privileged white helped to elect, reclaimed the presidency. This emboldened the privileged minority. They seem assured they can revert to the privileges whites experienced during slavery and segregation.
No privilege belongs to any one race
However, by understanding America’s history it’s clear no special privilege belongs to any particular race. The twists and turns of history have created a nation of diverse, but equal races with equal opportunities. It’s only by educating those who mistakenly believe they have a privileged status in the nation that progress can be made.
Mass education is needed to teach this history, break down these walls of privilege, and erase the hatred this mistaken privilege is creating between the races.
