Article Type: Research Article Article Citation: Fred Bedell.
(2021). RACISM: AFRICAN AMERICANS’ EXPERIENCES AS VICTIMS OF SLAVERY AND
SEGREGATION AS IMPLEMENTED BY THE POLICIES OF WHITE SUPREMACY. International
Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 9(3), 309-320. https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v9.i3.2021.3804 Received Date: 15 March 2021 Accepted Date: 31 March 2021 Keywords: Dominant Subordinate Slavery Segregation Racism White Supremacy Oppression This essay will be divided into three parts – Slavery, Segregation, and Past and Recent Events that will document the impact on the social, political, and economic fabric of marginalized communities. It will focus on the social construct theory of domination and subordination and the caste system that subjugated African Americans under the guise of white supremacy.
1. INTRODUCTIONI began
my career in teaching, and I was fortunate to have a role in integrating the
schools in the Westchester Public School District in New York state. The Brown
vs. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme
Court in which the court ruled the U.S. state-established racial segregation in
public schools was unconstitutional (Wikipedia 5/7/54). My career
in education and youth services allowed me to work in agencies whose mission
was dedicated to civil rights and equal opportunity for youth and adults. In my
retirement I decided to share my experiences via writing essays and books. This
essay is (I consider it a trilogy) a retrospective of the African American
experience culminating in my work and research, namely, my book, “Historical
Events as a Basis for Income Inequality and Social Injustice” (2019). My
current essay, “The Impact of the Coronavirus
(Covid-19) Pandemic Exposes the Inequalities and Inequities on Marginalized
Communities” (July 2020) The
Covid-19 Pandemic exposed the racial injustice and inequalities that still
exist in communities of color. Coupled with the police brutality perpetrated on
minorities, it has awakened America to examine the soul of the country as it
pertains to race relations. These narrative attempts document the struggle of
African Americans to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. In
research and writing articles, the writer searches for facts to reaffirm his or
her beliefs. We take parts of records or documents and develop an argument to
defend our position. It is within this context this essay is written. The
United States in its infancy was a slave society, where the privileged class
got its labor from indentured servants and African slaves to support the
economy, mainly in the South. 2. PART ONE – SLAVERY (1619 – 1865)Slavery
in the United States was the legal institution of human chattel enslavement,
primarily of Native Americans and Africans that existed in the U.S. from the
beginning of the nation until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865
(Wikipedia). Slavery
was the primary catalyst of the civil war which fostered secession from the
union. It was led by southern political leaders in opposition to attempts of
northern political forces to block the expansion of slavery into western
territories. The slave
trade provided political power, social standing, wealth, and privilege to
European Nation states and New World colonies and individuals. The South became
dependent on slave labor for its economic survival. In the
colonies, status began to be defined by race and class, and whether by custom,
case law, or statute, freedom was limited to maintain the enterprise of slavery
to ensure power (Wikipedia). Khalil
Mohammad in his book “The Contradiction of Blackness” states that the founders
of the Constitution were enriched by capital, slaves, and land. The
Constitution was for all intents and purposes designed to protect the further
acquisition of property for the privileged class (words did not match the
reality that all men are created equal). Non- privileged class people, e.g.,
dark-skinned people, women, and children were not included in the document. 2.1. THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD “RACE”Professor
Will Collins of Devry University culled information
from the writings of Frederickson, G.M., Summer, A., and Slipton,
Nancy, regarding the invention of race in our society. He notes that the
invention of race was a folk idea, not scientific. It was institutionalized
(circa 1700) as a set of culturally created attitudes about human group
differences. Race and
its ideology about human differences arose out of the concept of African
slavery. The first people to be enslaved by the English were the Irish and Indians.
Oddly enough, African servants and bonded indentured white servants were
treated the same way. They often joined together as in the case of the Bacon
Revolution in 1676 to oppose the strict and oppressive laws of the colonial
government. The Irish and the Indians did not make good slaves, and freed
whites demanded land privileges that were refused by the upper-class colonial
government. African
labor provided a buffer against the poor whites. Until the 18th century (1700),
the image of Africans was generally positive. They were farmers and cattle
breeders. They had industry, arts and crafts, government, and commerce. In
addition, Africans had immunities to Old World diseases. They were better
laborers, but they had nowhere to escape to once they were transplanted into
the New World. The colonists came to believe they were dependent on Africans
for their survival. The
institution of slavery was fully established for Africans and their
descendants. To
rationalize the slave trade, Africans were classified as heathens, and it was
the Christian duty to save their souls. As a
consequence of anti-slavery feelings, pro-slavery forces found it necessary to
develop new arguments for defending the institution focusing on the notion of
natural inferiority. Race had
been a classificatory term like “type” or “kind” which was ambiguous but
crystallized into a reference for African Americans. The
physical features of different groups became the marker or symbol of their
status and justified their positions within the social system. Race
ideology proclaimed that the social, spiritual, moral, and intercultural
inequality of different groups was their physical traits, natural and innate,
inherited, and unalterable. Separateness
and inequality were what race was all about. The attributes as the inferior
race statutes came to be applied to free Blacks as well as slaves (Collins
2020). 2.2. HUMANS AND PROPERTYSlaves
were both humans and property, so the question became, “How do you treat a
human being as both a human and a piece of property?” More importantly, “What
should take precedence – the human rights of the slave or the property rights
of the owner?” American
laws cleared that dilemma up as the property rights were more sacred than the
people, said Chief Justice Roger B. Taney in the famous Dred Scott Case of
1857, as the slaves were not intended by the framers of the Constitution to be
accorded citizenship rights. In order
to change people, you must minimize those qualities that make them human (see
Appendix – “All Lives Matter” flyer). In other words, you must dehumanize them. In the
many decades since the Civil War, societies made great strides to keep the
Negro in his place. Public policies, e.g., “Jim Crow” and the customs and
practices of millions of Americans expressed the racist worldview through the
twentieth century. Race
ideology was a mechanism justifying what had already been established as
unequal. Social grouping was a mechanism justifying what had already been
established as unequal social grouping. It was, from its inception and is
today, about who should have access to privilege, power, status, and wealth and
who should not. This ideology can be explained as a social construct of
dominance and subordination between the “haves” and the “have nots” rooted in white
supremacy as a social structure (Collins 2020). 2.3. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTRacism is
defined as the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics,
abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or
superior to one another (Oxford Dictionary, Wikipedia). Underneath
racism is white supremacy. The white people (especially white men, because they
dominated white society) were the pinnacle of the evolution of the human
species and therefore were racially superior to all other races. This
philosophy was behind the exploitation of Africans for free slave labor and the
economic gain for white businessmen during the era of the slave (Collins 2020). Layla F.
Saad defines white supremacy in her book, “Me and White Supremacy” as follows:
“White supremacy is a racial ideology that is based upon the belief that white
people are superior in many ways to people of other races, and therefore white
people should be dominant over all races. White
supremacy is not just an attitude or a way of thinking. It also extends to how
systems and institutions are structured to uphold white dominance.” The
theory of a social construct is the idea that race, class, and gender don’t
really mean anything, because societies give them meaning. Unlike a mountain,
the existence of race, gender, or class requires that people collectively
agree, that it does not exist. The
definition of social construct in simple terms is a way of looking at a social
phenomenon (in the case of race) of creating and institutionalizing a tradition
by mankind- dominance and subordination. This ideology is a set of behaviors
and rituals evolving in the submission of one person or a group. Subordinate
persons are called “submissive”, and the group holding the power is called
“dominant” (Bedell 2014). 3. PART TWO – SEGREGATION (1865 – 1954)3.1. THE CASTE SYSTEMA caste
system is defined as a class structure that is determined by birth. Loosely, it
means that in some societies, if your parents are poor, you are going to be
poor too. Same goes for the rich – a division of society based on differences
of wealth, inherited rank, privilege, profession, occupation, or race
(Wikipedia). Dr.
Martin Luther King visited India with his wife. He wanted to see and learn
about the country that fought for freedom from British rule. During his tour,
he visited a local high school, and the principal introduced him to the
students as an untouchable (the lowest caste in the Indian system). King was
floored, as he never expected that word to be applied to him. He did not see
the connection. Then he began to think about the reality of the lives of the
people he was fighting for – 20 million, consigned to the lowest ranks in
America for centuries, still smothering in airtight cages of poverty,
quarantined in isolated ghettos - exiled in their own land. Author Isabelle
Wilkerson tells the story of Dr. King’s experience in an article written in the
New York Times Magazine section titled, “America’s Enduring Racial Caste
System.” Before the modern era, one of the earliest
Americans to take up the caste was the antebellum abolitionist and U.S. Senator
Charles Sumner as he fought against segregation in the North. “The separation
of children in the public schools of Boston on account of race,” he wrote, “is
in the nature of caste and on this account a violation of equality. Caste makes
distinctions among creatures where God has none. (Wilkerson 2020).” 3.2. RECONSTRUCTION – (1865—1877)Following
the Civil War (1861—1865) and the Emancipation Proclamation, the country
entered the era of Reconstruction. Northerners came to the south as
missionaries, teachers, businessmen, and politicians. Hostile whites began
referring to the politicians as “carpetbaggers.” This period was called the
Reconstruction period. Cruel and severe black code laws were adopted to control
or reimpose the old social structure. Southern legislatures passed laws that
restricted the civil rights of the emancipated former slaves. Black codes were
adopted by midwestern states to regulate or inhibit migration of free African
Americans. Congress
passed an act on March 3, 1865, to establish the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen
and Abandoned Lands. The program was administered by the Department of War. Although
Congress responded with legislation that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1866,
states kept laws on the books that continued the legacy of the black codes, and
therefore second-class citizenship to the newly freed slaves (Lincoln Library
System, Howard University). Vice
President Andrew Johnson seceded President Lincoln after his assassination and
implemented a plan of Reconstruction that gave the white South a free hand in
regulating the transition from slavery to freedom and offered no role to blacks
in the politics of the South. The South
reestablished the black code laws in the form of the so-called “Jim Crow” laws.
These laws remained on the books for almost a century but were finally
abolished with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 3.3. BLACK CODE LAWS (VAGRANCY LAWS)Mississippi
law required blacks to have written evidence of employment for the coming year
each January. If they left before the end of the contract, they would be forced
to forfeit earlier wages and were subject to arrest. In South Carolina, a law
prohibited blacks from holding any occupation other than farmer or servant.
Some states limited the type of property that blacks could own, if at all.
White Supremacist paramilitary organizations, allied with southern democrats,
used intimidation, violence, and even committed assassinations in order to
repress blacks and prevent them from voting. In addition, they established poll
taxes and literary tests for voting eligibility. In that
moment, the slave realized that the land of the free had imposed a caste system
not unlike the caste system of India, and that he had lived under that system
all his life. (Wilkerson 2020) Ms. Wilkerson intimates, “Once awakened to the
underlying power of caste, we can better see the tool of race for what it is, a
mutation of the software that adjusts to the updated needs of the operating
system.” Social scientists often describe racism as the combination of racial
bias systems with personal or group power over another person or group with
less power, as men have power over women. White people have power over people
of color and dominate over the subordinate (social construct). Caste on
the one hand predates the notion of race and has survived the era of formal
state-sponsored racism long officially practiced in the mainstream (Wilkerson). Caste is
structure. Caste is ranking. Caste is the boundaries that reinforce the fixed
assignments based upon what people look like. Caste is a living, breathing
entity, like a corporation that seeks to sustain itself at all costs. Caste is
the granting or withholding of respect, status, honor, attention, privilege,
resources, benefit of the doubt, and human kindness to someone on the basis of
their perceived rank or standing in the hierarchy. It sees as logical as an
example – a white 16-year-old serving as a store manager over employees from
the subordinate class three times his age. What is
the difference between racism and caste? Caste and race are interwoven in
America, and it is hard to separate the two, according to Ms. Wilkerson. Any
action or structure that seeks to limit, hold back, or put someone in a defense
ranking seeks to keep someone in their place by elevating or denigrating that
person in their perceived category, and can be seen as casteism. Casteism is
the investment in keeping the hierarchy, as it is in order to maintain your own
ranking as advantage or privilege or to elevate yourself above others to keep
others beneath you, particularly in marginalized communities (Wilkerson 2020).
So, in this context, you have the basis for segregation. 4. PART III - PAST AND RECENT EVENTS IMPACTING THE LIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICANSThe
events described below document the activities to diminish the status and lives
of African Americans. Wilmington,
North Carolina, Insurrection of 1898 The
Wilmington, North Carolina, Insurrection of 1898, also known as the Wilmington
Massacres of 1898, occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina. White Supremacists
were working to reverse the advances made by former slaves and their offspring.
By the 1890s, Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city and a shining
example of a mixed-race community. It was a bustling port city with a
burgeoning African American middle class and a progressive government,
referenced David Zucchino in his book, “Wilmington
Lies.” Wilmington was a community that the government of both republican and
populist included black aldermen, police officers, and magistrates. There were
successful black- owned businesses and an African American newspaper, “The
Record.” It was evident that a segment of the white population was averse to
this prosperity of former slaves. In North Carolina, democrats were plotting to
take back the state legislature in November by the “ballot or bullet” or both
and then started a race riot to overthrow the present multi-racial government
with intimidation and violence. The democrats suppressed the black vote to win
control of the state on November 8, 1898. Two days later, more than 2,000
heavily armed redshirts swarmed through the city, torching The Record
newspaper, terrorizing the black population, and shot sixty black men dead in
the streets. The rioters forced city officials to resign and replaced them with
mob leaders. This
insurrection is a rare instance of a violent overthrow of an elected government
in the U.S. It halted the gains made by blacks and restored racism as the
official government policy, cementing white rule for another half century (Zucchino). The
events of November 10 in the 1898 Massacre were the result of a long-range
campaign strategy by Democratic Party leaders to regain political control of
Wilmington, the state’s largest city at the time. (“The Lost History of an
American Coup D’État,” written by Adrianne LaFrance
and Vann R. Newkirk in The Atlantic magazine, 8/12/17). 4.1. TULSA, OKLAHOMA MASSACRE (5-31—6-1-1921)The race massacre
in Tulsa, Oklahoma, took place on May 31st and June 1st, 1921, when mobs of
white residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials,
attacked black residents and businesses of the Greenwood Community District in
Tulsa, Oklahoma (Wikipedia). In 1921
Oklahoma had a racially, socially, and politically tense atmosphere. World War
I had ended in 1918. With the return of male servicemen and the American Civil
War still a living memory even though it had ended in 1865, civil rights for
disenfranchised people were lacking, and the “Ku Klux Klan” was resurgent and
exacerbated an already tense environment. Tulsa, as
a booming oil city, supported a large number of efficient, educated, and
professional African Americans. This combination of factors played a large part
in the rising tensions which were to culminate into a race riot. Greenwood
was a district in Tulsa organized in 1906 that became so prosperous that it
became known as the “Black Wall Street.” Blacks had created their own businesses
and services, including several grocers, two movie theaters, night clubs, two
newspapers, and numerous churches. Black professionals included doctors,
dentists, lawyers, and clergy that served their peers. Needless to say,
Greenwood prospered and participated in the oil boom. The riot
began over the Memorial Day weekend after 19-year-old Dick Rowland, a black
shoe shiner, was accused of assaulting Sarah Page, a 17-year-old white elevator
operator. He was arrested and taken into custody (later exonerated); however,
rumors and talk spread that he was going to be lynched. A mob of a hundred
white men were confronted by a large group of armed black men, which ensued
into a riot that led to white rioters rampaging and devastating black
neighborhoods. The attack by white rioters was not only carried out on the
ground but also by private aircraft, which destroyed more than 35 square blocks
of the district at that time, the wealthiest black community in the United
States. Three days after the massacre, President
Warren G. Harding condemned the riots as the worst uprising since the American
Civil War. A number of reparation commissions were formed and recommended
restitution to the victims – but restitution was never delivered (Wikipedia). Juneteenth
(June 19) represents the anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, which has been
called the worst incident of racial violence in American history. Oddly enough,
President Trump scheduled a campaign rally that day in 2020 but was advised to
reschedule it – which he did. Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas, and a
number of states subsequently followed suit. Efforts are being made to make it
a national holiday. 4.2. PROTESTSProtesters
took to the streets to raise their voices against oppression, racial injustice,
and income inequality. A list of these protests is noted as follows: 4.3. OCCUPY WALL STREETOccupy
Wall Street was a protest movement against economic equality/racial injustice
that began in Zuccotti Park located in New York City’s Wall Street financial
district in September 2011. It gave rise to the wider “Occupy” movement in the
United States and other countries (Wikipedia). 4.4. RODNEY KINGRodney
King was an American construction worker turned writer after surviving an act
of police brutality by the Los Angeles police on March 3, 1991. King was beaten
by LAPD officers after a high-speed chase during his arrest for drunk driving
on Route I-20. A civilian, George Holiday, filmed the incident which showed an
unarmed King on the ground being beaten after evading arrest. The incident was
covered by news media around the world and caused a public furor. It was
stated by the Los Angeles police chief that the police used excessive force
taking him into custody. In the review, it was found that the officers struck
him with batons between fifty-three and fifty-six times. No charges were filed
against Mr. King. The four
officers were eventually tried on charges of use of excessive force. Of those,
three were acquitted, and the jury failed to reach a verdict on one charge for
the fourth. The
verdict sparked a riot lasting for six days by outraged racial minorities over
long- standing social issues. 4.5. ERIC GARNERNew York
Police Department Officers (NYPD) approached Garner on July 17, 2014, on
suspicion of selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps. Garner
told the police that he was tired of being harassed and that he was not selling
cigarettes. The
officers attempted to arrest Garner who had pulled away, and the police officer
placed his arms around Garner’s neck and wrestled him to the ground. With
multiple officers pinning him down, Garner repeated the
words, “I can’t breathe.” 11 times while lying face down on the sidewalk. The
medical examiner rules Garner’s death a homicide, as the cause of death was a choke
hold; asthma, heart disease, and obesity were cited as contributing factors. The
Richmond County grand jury decided not to indict the officer. This decision
stirred public outcry and rallies, with charges of police brutality made by the
protesters. 4.6. MICHAEL BROWN JR.On August
9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old black man was fatally shot by 28-
year-old Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson, Missouri, police officer. Ferguson is
a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Brown was accompanied by his 22-year-old
friend Dorian Johnson. Wilson said that an altercation ensued when Brown
attacked Wilson in the police vehicle for control of Wilson’s gun until it was
fired. Johnson claimed that Wilson initiated a confrontation by grabbing Brown
by the neck through the car window, threatening him and then shooting at him.
At this point, both Wilson and Johnson stated that Brown and Johnson fled, with
Wilson pursuing Brown shortly thereafter. Wilson stated that Brown stopped and
charged him after a short pursuit. According to Johnson, Wilson shot Brown
multiple times. In the
entire altercation, Wilson fired a total of twelve bullets, including twice
during the struggle in the car. Brown was struck six times, all in the front of
his body. This
event ignited unrest in Ferguson, and protests ensued. A subsequent FBI
investigation found that there was no evidence that Brown had his hands up in
surrender or said, “Don’t shoot.” However, protesters claimed he had done so. A
subsequent grand jury decided not to indict the police officer, Wilson. The
U.S. Department of Justice concluded that Wilson shot Brown in self-defense
(Wikipedia). 4.7. GEORGE FLOYDGeorge
Perry Floyd was a black American man killed on May 25, 2020, during an arrest
after allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A
white police officer, Derek Chavin, after
apprehending him, knelt on Floyd’s neck (see All Lives Matter flyer in the
appendix) for nearly eight minutes which proved to be fatal. After his death,
protests against police violence toward black people quickly spread across the
United States and internationally. The
official autopsy report classified Floyd’s death as a homicide attributed to
cardiopulmonary arrest caused by subdual and restraint. Protests
began in Minneapolis the day after his death and developed in over 400 cities
through all 50 states and internationally. The case is presently in litigation. The
protests highlighted the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter (BLM)
is an organized movement in the United States advocating for non-violent civil
disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality against African
American people. What
makes these protests more powerful than previous ones is the joining of multi-
ethnic groups, especially white people, both men and women (Wikipedia). 4.8. MONUMENTSThe
removal of Confederate monuments is driven by the belief that the monuments
glorify white supremacy and memorialize a treasonous government whose founding
principal was the perpetuation and expansion of slavery. The vast majority of
these Confederate monuments were built during the era of “Jim Crow” laws (1877
- 1964) (Wikipedia). These are
statutes of Colonial and Civil War generals and presidents who were
slaveholders, so the question is, “What statues should stay, and which ones
should be removed?” So, a
standard should be established. I believe Jon Meacham, historian and writer has
suggested a standard that addresses this dilemma, which is, “Did the
individuals contribute to the creation of the country or its destruction?” The
Confederate generals and politicians advocated the secession of the Confederate
States from the union. This was treasonous, but they wanted to establish a
Confederate slave nation that encompassed the Caribbean Islands as well and
therefore should not be venerated in public spaces. The statues belong in
museums that tell the story of the history of the nation. 4.9. THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS – NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAMGeorge
Floyd’s death while in police custody in Minneapolis spurred protests, riots,
and a social movement in the United States and internationally. It led to
statues being toppled and removed, and Confederate flags were banned from Nascar tracks and taken down from southern state capitals. The
coronavirus pandemic has left the country with time to think, resulting in
louder and louder demands for change. It
eventually led to more pressure being applied to the Washington’s franchise to
change its name. Multiple companies, including sponsors of the team and the
NFL, spoke out in support of social justice reforms. Nike
released another statement that read in part, “Systemic racism and the events
that have unfolded across America the past few weeks serve as an urgent
reminder of the continued change needed in our society.” The
team’s name “Redskins” is “racist, insulting, and offensive to our Native
Americans and is finally being removed from the franchise.” It reminds me of a
former governor of Arizona, Evan Mecham, who opposed having Martin Luther
King’s birthday designated as a state holiday. Pressure from black football
players who refused to play in the football Super Bowl scheduled for Arizona
encouraged business leaders and politicians to convince the governor that
having King’s birthday as a state holiday was in the state’s best economic
interest. Lessons
are learned when economic considerations are in play; the hearts and minds of
the populace will follow. And more importantly, Peter Beinart, American columnist
stated, “Oppression produces violence, and justice and equality produce peace.” And last
but not least, the election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United
States. . . 4.10. BARACK OBAMAThe
election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States caused great
consternation within the Republican Party. So much so that after the election,
the Republican Party had a meeting to determine how to deal with a Black
president. It is noted that Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader stated that,
“The Republican Party will be the party of “no” to Obama’s legislative
initiatives, and we will do everything in our power to make him a one-term
president.” Let’s
look at three examples (out of many) that President Obama was subjected to in
his tenure in office: 1)
During
President Obama’s State of the Union Address, a southern congressman cried out,
“You lie!” This outburst was one of a kind, as it never happened to any
previous sitting president. 2)
Jan
Brewer, former governor of Arizona, ran across the tarmac and poked a finger in
his face as if to scold him as he prepared to board his airplane. 3)
The
current Republican president, Donald Trump, while he was a candidate for the
office, led a crusade known as the “Birther Movement” to question President
Obama’s birthplace when it was commonly known that he was born in Hawaii. He
later recanted the accusation when he had a conference with President Obama in
the transition interview after his election. On the
Charlie Rose TV Program on August 9, 2016, Michael Morell, former deputy
director of the CIA, spoke to issues facing America and indicated that he was
struck by the discourse pertaining to the racial attitudes that were prevalent
in the Republican presidential campaign given by candidate Donald Trump (2016).
Mr. Morell was asked by an Australian magazine to give an analysis of the
politics in the U.S., which he did. One of the three cited examples that
interested me most was the one that appealed to a segment of the population
(white) espoused by Candidate Trump. Mr. Morell stated, “There is a segment of
the population who fears the “Browning of America;” who fear the number of
minorities and their influence on the political process as manifested by the
election of Barack Obama to the presidency - a direct threat to the ideology of
white supremacy.” Michael
Edison Hayden (Newsweek) reported on March 27, 2018, that Sheriff Joe Arpaio
claimed he proved that President Obama’s birth certificate was fake and would
resume the debunked “Birther Movement” if elected to the Senate. Ex-Sheriff
Joe Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt. He garnered nationwide attention
for his crackdown on illegal immigration and at that time was told he could not
detain immigrants simply because they lacked legal status. But for 18 months
his deputies carried on the practice. The ruling carried a possible maximum
sentence of six months in jail and a monetary fine for the 85-year-old Arpaio.
He was subsequently pardoned by President Trump. And
lastly, the current Coronavirus Pandemic . . . 4.11. CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC (2020)The
Coronavirus attack on the world in general and the United States in particular,
has forced a lockdown strategy and strict hygiene guidelines. People who are
able to work from home are luckier than people who do not have that option and
fill the unemployment ranks. Various businesses have closed and put their
workers on furlough or on unemployment. This
Pandemic has shed a light on how vulnerable we are as a planet and as a nation
to the forces of nature. It has also placed a spotlight on the fragility of our
institutions that were established for the health and safety of our country.
Unfortunately, when we thought that we had the virus under control, it resurged
in 35 states, mainly due to the incoherent messaging coming from the White
House leadership and the populace’s indifference to following the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) hygienic guidelines. The
impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic is reflecting the racial and socioeconomic
disparities of the cities where it is spreading and crippling the health
systems that are struggling to contain it. Unfortunately, communities of color
have been hit the hardest. Research
shows: •
African
Americans are more likely to have severe underlying health conditions,
including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers that make the
virus infections more severe. •
Lower-income
areas which tend to have larger non-white populations have less access to
health care services. The quality of care is also often worse than what
wealthier parts of the counties receive. •
Low-income
workers are not likely to have health insurance. They’re also less likely to be
able to work from home and are therefore more likely to keep going to work and
putting themselves more at risk. •
Substandard
housing, multiple families living together, and homelessness all facilitate the
virus spread. •
Lehigh
University’s Sirry Alang,
who studies health disparities and inequities, says, “There is a need for
people in these communities to shape a response for justice and equity and form
alliances and organizations to communicate the message to the political
establishments.” I would
submit that this is the message that all the protests are giving. So, what do
we conclude? 5. CONCLUSIONSThe
current Coronavirus Pandemic, coupled with the tragic murder of George Floyd by
a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has ignited protests in the United
States and around the world, voicing concerns about police brutality, social
injustices, income inequality, and the inequities of racism’s impact on
communities of color. This
essay highlights racism and the African American experience as victims of
slavery and segregation as implemented by the policies and practices of the
ideology of white supremacy. We as a
country are fighting for the soul of America as stated in the Constitution
that, “All men and women are created equal,” and that “Black Lives Matter,” as
all lives matter. There are present movements that are addressing these issues,
particularly the protests that have drawn multi-ethnic groups, giving strength
to the messages. A participation by the majority ethnic group provides a
legitimacy and urgency for change in social and political discourse. Books
addressing the issues of racism, social injustice, and income inequality are
prominent on the New York Times best seller lists. Churches
are hosting “Racial Equity Challenge” seminars that aim to help participants
deepen their understanding of racism and examine their own biases. State
legislatures are passing sweeping police accountability bills such as the state
of Oregon. The following is a summary of the legislation: Transparent policing
and use of force reform; outlaw the use of respiratory restriction restraints;
duty to report and intervene; transparency of police discipline records;
protecting freedom of speech and assembly from excessive force, and discipline
guidelines and arbitration decisions. Recently,
the taking down of Confederate monuments and flags from state capitals in the
south is a significant step in racial sensitivity. In addition, changing the
name of the Washington Redskins National Football League franchise, which is
offensive to the Native American population, is a major step forward in race
relations. Change can be accomplished when economic issues are prevalent (their
hearts and minds will follow). “To label
is to divide,” is an observation made by a friend of mine who is currently a
university professor. He recounts his experiences as an employee of a Fortune
500 corporation and states, “Historically, we (African Americans) have been
called many names. His ancestors have birth records labeling them Indian,
Mulatto, and Negro. More recently, Black, Afro-American, African American, and
people of color have been added to the lexicon, omitting derogatory
descriptions. He refers to a label of Plans for Progress (PFP) that hire then
advance to Equal Opportunity Employees (EOE) These became buzz words to
describe efforts and results in minority hiring. In effect, if you were not
white you often were viewed as a product of “Affirmative Action” and not
because you were qualified for a particular position. Taking this concept of
“labeling” to divide is a method of polarization – divide and conquer. We use
it in describing, Black and white, red states and blue states, liberal and
conservative, elites, etc. Is this the current administration’s campaign
strategy for reelection? It is a rhetorical question. You decide. What is
needed is investment in marginalized communities. I call it an infrastructure
safety net. George
Lakoff defines the mission of government as follows: “Politics is about working
for and representing people and the concerns of citizens’ everyday lives. The
mission of government is to protect and empower all equally through the use of
the public (commons), defined as resources for the betterment of life provided
for all.” This concept has made for a civilized and humane private lifestyle
and prosperous private enterprise. Dr.
Martin Luther King advocated for economic and social rights during his campaign
for the poor and civil rights for marginalized communities, which is, I
believe, the investment that is needed today. It is noted as follows: •
The
right of every employable citizen to a minimum job – the right of every citizen
to a minimum income •
The
right to a decent house and a free choice of neighborhood •
The
right to participate in the decision-making process •
The
right to full benefits of modern science and health care To say
the least, we are a long way from achieving the aspirations of Dr. King, but
now is the time to start. So, let us conclude with an anonymous source who
analyzed the Constitution: 5.1. THE CONSTITUTION – FIRST AMENDMENT“We the
people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish
justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our
prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.” The
analysis is noted as follows: 1)
“Establish
Justice” – If a segment of the population is subjected to police brutality and
unfair incarceration, it would be your constitutional duty to oppose that
system and fix it to establish justice. 2)
“Domestic
Tranquility” – To ensure it, you listen to people’s complaints and their right
to peaceful assembly, you avoid confrontation and violence, and you petition
for a redress of grievances. 3)
“Promote
the General Welfare and Provide for the Common Defense” - It means we protect
each other (Wear masks. My mask is to protect you, and your mask is to protect
me.). It is your constitutional duty to wear a mask and to protect your
community. if there were a systemic issue that prevents a segment of the
population from prospering, it would be your constitutional duty to oppose it. 4)
“Secure
the Blessing of Liberty” – Do not elect persons of ill will who refer to
journalists as the enemy because of criticism. Freedom of the press is embedded
in the Constitution, because it is important to the functioning of a
represented democracy, and there are groups who oppose the founding document of
this country. We all should be concerned about our responsibilities as citizens
of a democracy. As my friend Karl says, “That’s my story, and I’m sticking to
it.” A little African boy (enslaved) asked the overseer why he was
whipping the man and the overseer retorted, “He was born free and had to be
subjugated, you were born into slavery so you don't know the difference." AFRICAN
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE The framework for inequality is inherent in the cultural/social
context of domination and subordination
(social construct) as depicted in the illustrations above and rooted in White Supremacy. We are fighting for the soul of America
in this "BLACK LIVES MATTER" as the creed
embedded in the Constitution of the United States. Fred Bedell-2020 (picture of a white overseer
beating a slave
from the TV series, "Roots," based on Alex Haley's book) SOURCES OF FUNDINGThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. CONFLICT OF INTERESTThe author have declared that no competing interests exist. ACKNOWLEDGMENTNone. REFERENCES [1] Alang, Sirry
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