Books like To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck are windows into Americas past. They show a clear, and ugly, picture of what once was.
When you watch Roots, the same thing emerges, a clear window of how it used to be. When you compare that to today, on its face, one might think of celebrating the end of racism. But hold on.
What does a non-racist society look like? Think back in your world history knowledge and try to name even one society that did not try to segregate. Strange huh. Yeah, I thought so too.
America was built, and designed, to uphold the straight, Christian, white, land owning male and everyone else had to be subservient too, die, or leave. The government was designed around this principle. I believe it was Thoreau who said the same government who oversees the freeman, also overseen the slaves, making all of us slaves. This is not a direct quote, but a paraphrase of H.D. Thoreau's How To Resist The Government.
Racism exists still not because people actually feel superior, but because if we were to all accept one another than things like gentrification could not exist. Racism exists because we the people are failing to do what America's forefathers did, think ahead and beyond our generation.
When we the people get together, make a decision about the kind of future we actually want for our children's children, who can dare stop us?
We the people are a powerful force and no government can dictate our future.
Racism still exists, no doubt, but it exists because we the people allow it too. Do your part, make racism uncool, encourage equality by modeling it.
With Love
Jeff "Jeffebelle"
When you watch Roots, the same thing emerges, a clear window of how it used to be. When you compare that to today, on its face, one might think of celebrating the end of racism. But hold on.
What does a non-racist society look like? Think back in your world history knowledge and try to name even one society that did not try to segregate. Strange huh. Yeah, I thought so too.
America was built, and designed, to uphold the straight, Christian, white, land owning male and everyone else had to be subservient too, die, or leave. The government was designed around this principle. I believe it was Thoreau who said the same government who oversees the freeman, also overseen the slaves, making all of us slaves. This is not a direct quote, but a paraphrase of H.D. Thoreau's How To Resist The Government.
Racism exists still not because people actually feel superior, but because if we were to all accept one another than things like gentrification could not exist. Racism exists because we the people are failing to do what America's forefathers did, think ahead and beyond our generation.
When we the people get together, make a decision about the kind of future we actually want for our children's children, who can dare stop us?
We the people are a powerful force and no government can dictate our future.
Racism still exists, no doubt, but it exists because we the people allow it too. Do your part, make racism uncool, encourage equality by modeling it.
With Love
Jeff "Jeffebelle"
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