By Admin
October 16, 2017
“Why is it so important to remember the racist past of America when it comes to dealing with racism today? Why do so many people like to remove that from American history?”
In the midst of dealing with current issues of race in America, it is essential to traverse through America’s vast and painfully racist history.
However, many fail to see the importance and relevance of adequately dissecting the racist ways of history to better understand the current nuances of racism in America.
We asked a few people their opinion on the matter and here is what they said:
Isaac Amouzou
“White people have not removed anything about racism, that is why we learn about slavery and the civil rights movement. The “Racist today” is basically a myth. I am black, and I haven’t been stopped by the police, I haven’t been denied access to a public building because of my color.
Black people in America have equal opportunity as white people.
Racism in America has largely disappeared, and “white privilege” does not exist.
Does he have “white privilege”?
The media reports on police shootings but not on a homeless man who gets BEAT TO DEATH.
What makes me angry is to see black people today who are saying they are “oppressed” but what they do not see is the fact that the police have yet to spray them with hoses every time the protest, but it is they who riot and burn down buildings. Will the history books cover that?”
Rutger Hauer
“I haven’t removed anything from history. But how are the attitudes and things done so many years ago relevant to me today? Revisionist history has the Civil War being fought over slavery when NOT ONE Northern slave was freed by Lincoln, and in his own words, he said if he could win without doing it he would.
We need to remember real history but not use it as a club on each other if you walk around looking to be offended chances are you will, why not walk around looking for opportunities to be a blessing to others no matter what the race or gender.
As a white child born in Louisiana in the late 50s, I have seen segregation but was not raised racist, I remember when our washing machine broke we had to go to the laundromat to wash clothes, my grandmother told me to quit asking questions when I asked about a sign on the door, it said “ NO BLACKS” for a long time I wondered why you could not wash black clothes there.
I did not meet someone black in school until I reached Junior High School, I didn’t think anything odd about it, had no problems, all the bullies where white.
In fact, it seems that relations between different races have declined over the last ten years even though whites and blacks together voted for America’s first black president. It seems like he would’ve tried to heal the old wounds left by stupid racists. Instead, he seemed to divide us more even though Americans of all races got him in office.
People starting protests without facts, running on media fueled by stupidity need to shut up and sit down.
We can all work together to make things better, but, you have to listen as much as you talk and be open to change and forgiveness.”
Kathleen O’Loughlin
“It would be the same reason I study ancient history. You are not just who you are now, but you are the sum of your ancestors. It is not possible to see how we got ‘in this mess’ unless you look at slavery and the dumping of people without skills on society.
People ask, “how was segregation set up?”
Well, it’s simple when you take a population that recently were slaves. People who were still not free were not citizens who had many laws governing what they could do. Segregation was a big step up from slavery.
Only as people grew more used to seeing themselves as not just free but as people did things start to evolve. And have continued to change.
In my childhood, and I remember back there, I was 5 in the 1960s, most people felt that black people ought to be grateful they were no longer slaves and accept a lowest run on the ladder place.
One thing, without going on and on with the same information that will be repeated is why don’t they want to look at the past? Because it is shameful. It’s only been 150 years since there were slaves.
It seems more reasonable that such a thing would be given up from Christianity. Two thousand years ago. When it was stated that no Christian person would own another human being.
Why do I not seek to hide it?
Only in truth can we find liberation. And my people were not here till the 1900s. But really if you look at the past and follow it up what is happening today makes perfect sense.
As long as you include the part where supposedly Christian people owned, tortured, raped, other people.”
