Why critical race theory is necessary

In case you're wondering why there's a push for critical race theory (which critics tend to know almost nothing about), take a look at this piece about a Fox "News" pundit equating the genocide of Native Americans and the forcible seizure of their lands with responding to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Since this land was "settled" (conquered) by Europeans, white supremacy is the dominant mindset. As we can see above, this fact is present, not just past.

It's worth noting that conservatives' rejection of the legitimacy of our elections began when a black president was a elected, pause when a white supremacist president was elected and resumed when a vice-president of color was elected.

White supremacy requires insisting that America is perfect... other than perhaps the fact that it allows liberals.

The Founding Fathers of this nation knew very well this was not so. The Constitution they wrote tried to form not a perfect union but a "more perfect" one. That's why they provided for an amendment process.

Serious adults know that you cannot improve unless you recognize your flaws. It's time many Americans became less like insecure little children and more like serious adults. It's the only one to move this country forward. It's always the only way to move forward.

 

 

Update: I was not surprised to learn that the hysteria over Critical Race Theory was carefully manufactured and well-funded by elites seeking to divide us. 

A sliver of optimism in a dark time

The coup attempt of Jan. 6 and its aftermath have been distressing, but upon historical reflection, I think there *could* be a cause for a tiny sliver of optimism.  

The unearned privilege of a group always ends. But it's usually ugly. Apartheid South Africa. The French and Russian Revolutions. The partial evolution that was the end of legal segregation in the US.

It never ends with the group voluntarily giving up their privilege - ie: sharing the wealth and power with everyone - because they think it's the right thing to do. It ends with the rest of the people demanding a fairer system and the privileged group realizing they can no longer stand against the inexorable march of history.

The end is often the most turbulent and violent period, as the privileged lash out vainly fighting the inevitable. It's unfortunate but this seems to be the only path from which more equitable societies emerge.

White people are going to be a minority in this country in the near future. Many are not white supremacists - overt or apologists for such a system - but a significant percentage are. And they are the most dangerous ones at this time.

Many assume that they, as a minority, will be treated in the same way that they themselves  have traditionally treated minorities. The thought of such karma terrifies them. They literally can't imagine a society in which minorities are treated fairly and decently.

I hope that we are in the death throes of a centuries-old white supremacist based society. White supremacy is often described as America's Original Sin, but it's more accurately referred to as America's Foundational Sin. It's not incidental to America's history. It's central to it.

There will not be magical transformation when the Biden administration is sworn in. It will probably get worse before it gets better, which is not a reassuring thought.  

Such evolution is not driven by politicians but by the people. I think the values of the younger generation may be what saves this country by ushering in a more open and meritocratic society. But a more humane society is not guaranteed. It must continue to be fought for by all who want it.

White supremacy has always served the rich

"When I give food to the poor, I'm called a saint. When I ask why they are poor, I'm called a communist." -Archbishop Dom Helder Camara.

I am working my way through the brilliant PBS documentary on Reconstruction Dr. Henry Louis Gates.

It is not news that white supremacy was and remains America's original terrorism. But it's interesting how social issues and economic issues, often treated as separate, are usually inter-connected.

What I did not know is that after the Civil War, poor whites and poor blacks worked together to wrest some degree of political and economic control from the plantation class. Hundreds of black men were elected to various offices throughout the south, until disenfranchisement in the 1890s. Aggressive promotion of white supremacy and racial caricaturing was a way to drive a wedge into that alliance and thus for the rich to preserve economic and political power.

Lynchings, which were inevitably triggered by fabricated accusations of the rape of white women, were not random. They specifically targeted black men who ran businesses or who were otherwise economically successful.

White supremacy was way to divide and conquer poorer people. It still is.

 

Rioting, as seen by Dr. King

"When I give food to the poor, I'm called a saint. When I ask why they are poor, I'm called a communist." -Archbishop Dom Helder Camara.


Dr Martin Luther King said this over 50 years ago. Still relevant today.

"I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”

Liberté, égalité, racisme

I'm not sure if it's reassuring or troubling that small-minded anti-Islamic bigotry isn't unique to the United States. The French daily Le Monde reports on the case of a 9 year old boy who was denied a place on a children's game show solely because of his first name: Islam.

"You must understand that the name of your child makes reference to a religion that the French don't like very much," the casting director told the boy's mother. "It could shock people."

The show even urged them to have the boy use a pseudonym instead, which the family refused.

Naturally, after the story went public, the show called invited the boy back on the show and 'apologized' (the usual 'this goes against the values of the production company bla bla bla'). The family declined, seeing through this transparent attempt at PR damage control.

Rejecting a child because of something as trivial as his first name is something you might expect on an elementary school playground. Imagine this boy's parents having to explain why so-called adults would do such a thing.

Racism in sports

Authorities in England have probably done more than any sporting nation to attack racism. Certainly authorities in places like Italy and Spain could take note. Fans in both countries have been known to make monkey noises directed at black soccer players. Sections of Lazio (in Rome) 'supporters' sing songs in honor of the murderous Balkans' war criminal Arkan. Spain is where some idiots launched disgusting attacks on black Formula 1 driver Louis Hamilton. This happened in Barcelona, one of the cultural capitals of Europe, supposedly one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The tolerance of Spanish and Italian societies for this garbage is what's truly shocking.

Eastern Europe is reportedly much worse.

English soccer officials have no doubt taken the problem of hatred seriously, unlike most on the continent. But sadly, it's reared its ugly head again.

The Israeli manager of the London club Chelsea has received disgraceful anti-Semitic death threats against both him and his wife as well as a package containing white powder.

There's nothing wrong with losing yourself once in a while in sports. And I realize that being a supporter or fan has an inherently tribal dynamic. But that doesn't mean supporters or fans have to act like primitive savages.