LAND OF THE FREE?
During a recent east coast road trip to visit my 95 year-old dad down in sunny Florida, I took a couple of detours to do something I’ve always wanted, explore a bit of American history. While visiting several colonial era towns along the way, beginning in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, I was quickly reacquainted with some of the stuff from my public school history books. You know… the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Declaration of Independence, the stories of patriotic heroes like Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock, but in our new era of increased racial awareness and awakening, I was well reminded of what my American history books lacked and what I didn’t learn.
My late-mid 20th century history books curiously brushed over the pertinent and ugly chunks of America’s darkest and most painful story. In an attempt to fill some of the huge gaps of racial bias, The Philadelphia Museum of the American Revolution makes a grand effort noting an ignorance that needed full exposure long ago. In fact, every one of my several visitations along the way attempted to acknowledge our darkest time; when blatant cruelty towards the black race was accepted, practiced and embraced. Sadly, throughout time, ‘privileged’ cultures have used and abused ‘lesser’ cultures. It’s the ancient story of the strong taking advantage of the weak, the rich over the poor, the privileged vs. the not so privileged.
Since the first arrivals, as early as 1619 at the port of Jamestown, 12.5 million innocent black souls were shipped as cargo, bound in chains. Governments determined how many blacks fit onto a slave ship by the ton. Slave entrepreneurs considered children especially advantageous. They made up twenty six percent of the captives, filling the boat’s smallest spaces.
Treated much worse than than those with lighter shades of skin, blacks played and continue to play a critical role in white greed, commerce and prosperity. While Lincoln’s well-intended Emancipation Proclamation eventually made slavery illegal, it did little to eradicate a deeply rooted racial bias. In fact, black freedom angered and enraged many ‘privileged’ whites, supplying more reason to hate. Sadly, this deeply rooted evil strain of insidious racial hatred still lives, haunting our 21st century culture.
If our northern textbooks comfortably brushed over these insidious cultural hate crimes, it’s hard to imagine the brand of textbook stories below the Mason-Dixon. We school age northerners only learned sanitized basics, big-bad plantation owners of the south owned and enslaved black humans to pick cotton. Depictions of blacks in the fields singing the blues, never being whipped to death. There was little if any mention of the depth, cruelty, and abuse. And, never did our history books suggest the curious facts of our founding fathers’ contribution to slave ownership or the racism it created and promoted. Ten of the first twelve American presidents enjoyed slave ownership. Honest George had an accumulative 577. Jefferson had six hundred and openly speculated that black people were inferior to whites. A total of twelve U.S. presidents owned slaves, eight while in office. Abraham Lincoln probably didn’t own slaves, but his father-in-law made up for it by owning more slaves then any other plantation owner in the land call Kentucky. This collection of presidential information would have certainly furrowed my young, very impressionable, school aged brow. Was it too painful and complex a story for our youthful white minds to understand?
With Bible in hand, preaching life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, most of the southern, and a fair number of northern ‘good old’ planter class whites enjoyed the benefits of slave ownership. Owning slaves was a symbol of status. The number of slaves a person owned defined their political, economical and social worth.
Our sanitized public school history books along with whitewashed media continually failed to address, expose, dissect or express the ugly truths of American DNA, eliminating all possibilities of wrongdoing, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, healing and civil evolution. Simply put, we weren’t taught to explore or question America’s darkest history.
Privileged upper class men and women owned and treated slaves anyway they so chose, indulging whatever pleasure they could. White men (and women) could pick and choose their delight. Color-coding went far beyond bathrooms, water fountains, public seating, etc. Modern public school education remains color coded by never exposing the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
History’s plentiful representations of our “forthright” white heroic forefathers were clear, but never those historical images and truths that would rattle the mind to force us to stop and think. Images of overcrowded slave ships, raw open backs of blacks at the whipping post, steel collars, child labor, women (and men) being raped, or black bodies dangling from a limb. Such depictions would have colored racial injustice in a manner that demanded deep introspection.
While our history books concealed the injustice of white patriarchal authority, our founding fathers’ full participation in slave ownership demonstrated the depth of the most hideous crime against humans on the grandest scale. Patrick Henry, adamant about his, liberty or death, talked abolishment of slavery but actually owned 67 slaves at the time of his death. Not addressing this pertinent information only propagated white superiority.
Obviously, our founders’ cry for liberty, equality, freedom and the pursuit of happiness did not apply to cultures, skin tones or classes other than their own. American freedom, promoted by the privileged for the privileged, was only intended and designed for those who could afford it, wealthy landowners who wrote and established law. Their freedom allowed them to import and use Africans as they chose and oftentimes treated them much worse than they would their animals.
Despite tremendous maltreatment, oppression and lack of freedom, many courageous blacks fought for the American cause against English tyranny as well as later tyrannical forces around the world. During the Civil War, escaped slaves joined the Union Army, but again, though fighting and killing for the same cause as white counterparts, it was not until 33 presidents later, during the year 1948, when Harry Truman signed an executive order banning segregation in the armed forces. It wasn’t until 1954 when the landmark Supreme Court decision struck down the 1896 doctrine of “separate but equal” and ordered an end to school segregation.
White supremacy understood the meaning of power, theirs as well as unleashed black power. The possibility of black power and retaliation drove an obsession to suppress blacks in every way imaginable, socially, politically, mentally, educationally and economically. Fast forward to the mid 20th century. Black discrimination, for one ignorant racist reason or another, has gone on far too long. Smoldering hatred, injustice and resentment threaten the white establishment in ways never before seen. Treated as lesser Americans, unrecognized and unappreciated for value or achievement, the fatigue of deeply rooted racism becomes too much to bear. Blacks protest and riot. These racial uprisings force the federal government to recognize the evils of discrimination with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Though allowing for more black freedom this move in the right direction once again fueled the country’s hatred for black freedom doing little to truly eliminate systemic racism. Equality for one and all remains an issue of black and white.
There can be no denying. The indelible stain of racism goes deep into the core of our existence. It began when we began, but according to recent events, the heavy chains that once held slaves in bondage have begun to rust away. A light has finally begun to cast away our darkest shadow. Progress has been made, but evident by continued, present day racial and gender injustices, we have a long way to go.
Today, our cultural dependence on the black race is stronger than ever. Though once totally dependent on black blood, sweat and tears, Americans now rely on black artistry and intelligence in every realm of society. On a continued quest for black equality, whites have finally allowed blacks to take rightful leadership roles in every once white work place of life, including governmental/political and judicial arenas.
It’s time to kick the Freedom train into high gear by ‘paying’ homage to America’s black race. Since America’s original sin harkens to the time when we first began establishing American rights and wrongs, I especially blame white governmental leaders, especially our founding fathers for our deeply entrenched racism and recommend establishing the FFFF for RRR. The Founding Fathers Forgiveness Foundation for Reconciliation, Reparation and Restitution.
Under the FFFF for RRR, every American black family will receive a government funded year-long hiatus from every type of work. This includes turning on a basketball game to see only whites, as well as every other black dominated sport. Turn on the radio and hear only white musicians and singers. Perhaps then, with deep gratitude, will white Americans come to their senses and finally respect the artistry, beauty, contribution and importance of the black race.
Education, once totally forbidden, has given blacks the voice to reach the heights in every aspect of life. But sadly, as witnessed by the recent Supreme Court hearing of Katanji Brown Jackson, white Republican southerners, with deeply planted southern roots, continue burning crosses. Southern republican racial bias remains a tinderbox. Government in America, the so-called land of the free, still remains prejudiced. But despite inconceivable odds, barriers and difficulties, many enthusiastic and courageous souls have managed to claw their way through the thick divide of an unjust, racially biased, corrupt, antiquated social system that promoted inequality since its inception.
The recording of recent current and critical racial events with handheld technology along with social media has exposed the hypocrisy of police brutality, providing clearer vision and awareness. Until every black American can walk with the freedom of their white counterparts, “for the people and by the people”, means nothing. Black Americans have done far more than their fair share, and should be recognized, honored, awarded, embraced and saluted for their contributions. “Active patriotic service” for blacks began when they first arrived.
The fact that 21st century Americans need to carry “Black Lives Matter” signs demonstrates how far we need to go. They exemplify our barbaric past and the road ahead. Yes, they make a point, but it will take much more to finally abolish an ignorance that harkens back to the time when black lives mattered so much, they were the backbone of the American way of life. A better sign reads, “Celebrate Black Lives”.
Besides massive amounts of accomplishments, Blacks have created our uniquely defined sports and musical heritage. Despite the fact they’ve long been deprived of equal freedom, liberty and opportunity- black strength, skill and artistry has dominated, and has driven many areas of art and entertainment.
Historical white supremacy, privilege, exclusionism, prejudice, stupidity and ignorance have only strengthened and empowered Blacks to persevere and rise above our hatred and descent, to finally take their rightful place in a society defined by fear and ignorance.
Americans (of every shade, gender, sexuality, denomination, domination, size and shape) cannot function and could not function and would not be where they are today without the intelligence, hands and artistry of every shade and ancestry of human. People of color and diverse backgrounds are woven so deeply into the American fabric, without them, there would be no fabric at all.
To truly make America the “land of the free” we must first forgive ourselves for our collective ignorance and injustices and recognize the importance, value and contribution of all those who, for the sake of one reason or another but mostly ignorance, have been persecuted.
Since our social system has long deprived blacks of equal rights and the freedom of education, a way to reconciliation, reparation and restitution is to supply free college education to every person who can prove his or her lineage to slave ancestry. This program of reconciliation, reparation and restitution would also apply to indigenous American Tribes who have been ravaged by European and American expansionists. Then, to drive racial awareness further home, allow blacks and native Americans of all walks of life, across the employment spectrum a year’s paid sabbatical, on the back of the US Government that once promoted slavery. Blacks have always expressed their cultural pain and suffering through music. I believe that once whites experience a year without this black contribution, everyone will be singing the blues.
Yes, social injustices have existed throughout humankind. It’s simply the nature of the beast and we are all beasts on our way to becoming more and more aware, more civil, more understanding, more forgiving, more compassionate and ultimately, more loving. While most ignorance revolves around separatism (I’m this and you are that) in our heart of hearts we know we are all one and one with all. It’s only man’s tainted mind, rich with egocentricity that is at fault.
Since the death of George Floyd and all the other recent racially biased murders, a brighter light has shone on America’s original sin. Due to these blatant examples of hate crimes and sinful bias, I believe human rights in America has met its tipping point, and is now moving towards a positive direction. I’m hopeful our long history of racial prejudice has seen the light of a new day and will soon come to an end.
For America to be “The land of the free” we cannot play favorites. As long as there are social injustices, Lincoln’s, “government by the people and for the people” still remains elusive, as does the dream of Rev. Martin Luther King, and every other illumined mind, but every new day brings new hope and opportunity for growth. As our adversity to diversity declines, long time divisions such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, skin color, age, education, religion and family origins are becoming less distinct. I do believe, “Land of the Free” is finally on the horizon.
