Giving up the Ghost
Critical Race Theory meets Black History Month
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” — Martin Luther King Jr.
In the last year, since I wrote What I really think about Black History Month and it’s Roots — Critical Race theory has become a topic and a weapon used by Politicians and Racists alike.
The fact that every time this country makes a step in the right direction, there are folks like Florida’s Governor DeSantis who will drag us back, not just a few steps, but a couple of centuries backward. His character has been called into question more than once and recently with his delay and deflection regarding the Nazi demonstration in Orlando, which spoke volumes. He is willing to sacrifice everything that may have been good about him, to sell his soul for the chance at the presidency.
Let’s move on.
President Biden stated that his Supreme Court selection will be an African American Woman and the chatter about Affirmative Action, and the negative impact on the country, went on tilt. My question was, why shouldn’t he be able to balance the scales. Also, should he lie and parade some less qualified candidates to satisfy the other side who did the same thing under previous presidents. Seating a triple threat “Black Woman with Brains”, can only better serve our nation.
Why is it that when it appears that members of various cultures appear to settle their differences/indifference, some antagonists step in and try to blind everyone with some foolishness, like Critical Race Theory is Anti-American? The gull of this hypocrisy. Some compare these Trump and Trump-like politicians and their fellow Neo -Nazi’s as harmless platformers. I see them a little differently, dangerous. It’s like a Mar’s Solar Conjunction when Mars and Earth finally align, and here comes the Sun, showing up glaring at onlookers to distract - blocking our view of Mars, as though Mars doesn’t exist. Yet it does — it’s being scorched and damaged by the UV-C, and giving off deadly dangerous gas, you can’t see it but there’s damage. What do I know — I am no scientist.
Filtering someone else's pain and problems through a narrow disdain lens only magnifies the residual effects and prolong distrust and destruction caused by this condescending behavior.
Whitewashing others’ history is not new and one of the main reasons Carter G. Woodson a phenomenal historian was so passionate about preserving a transparent narrative of American History inclusive of Black culture, history, and contributions, which provides insight into the positive impact on American and global development.
I am reminded of a conversation with a white male colleague, in which we grazed over the topic of reparations and restitution. He became very exaggerated and boasted of a past encounter with two African American brothers in which he shared his thoughts on reparations with them and his feelings that it was rubbish. He went on to state that got their 40 acres and a mule, especially considering that the brothers’ family owned a farm in Maryland -Eastern Shores. I asked him, how did he surmise this fallacy. His response was rather inane. I attempted to explain that he gathered his opinion based on surface information. He looked at me confused. I walked away, before saying more, as he started to agitate me and my jaw was tightening.
After stewing with that unpalatable conversation — I came to realize that while he was in part an okay guy — his views were skewed. Maybe, it was due to the fact that no one wanted to confront him with what he ailed — lack of information and a different narrative from a different face. I considered that if after sharing some poignant facts, such as black farmers are historically and statistically charged more for everything from feed to mortgage, forced into default by communities that do not support them, and in comparison to white farmers — making far less for their product. Often, barely making it as they struggle to hold on to the property that others didn’t want and having to make it work for their families livelihood, and now have to defend from being stolen from them. If he believed his wild and weak notion, after, I then knew what I was dealing with. So, I went back in and asked him some questions and provided more facts.
History cannot be one-sided, all rosey, recognizing that given the accomplishments of some people of color past and present, does not mean that they were not hindered mentally, physically, or financially due to forbidding residual effects of the torture, death, and marginalization, of past generations, and remains active for various classes and race.
History must be shared in whole, to comprehend what we did well to encourage growth and what we did wrong to learn from our mistakes, repair, educate and develop, in order to form and maintain a better society.
We cannot Give up the Ghost and allow censorship, under any deceitful disguise of the right-wing, to dismiss hardship, gross torture, and unspeakable deaths and belittle the fortitude that carried people of color through and out of the valley of death into contributing members of society.
As we consider what is at risk, in this intentional ignorant cancel culture — please be reminded that our youth are watching us and they will bear the brunt of our neglect and dissociative behavior. the strength of this nation relies on their education and competence to be better than us, so it is important that we give them a full account of history — even the hard facts to swallow; that this nation was built on the backs, shoulders, and brains of the enslaved, marginalized and tortured. Teach them respect.
