controversies
It seems every time one racially-charged incident ends, a gender or religious controversy takes its place; Ruminate on the issues dividing our nation and world.
The American Truth
History has been seriously watered down when it comes to the truth behind the Black experience in the United States of America. Some individuals (usually non-black) wholeheartedly believe that if Black people would just simply “obey the authorities” we would be fine, and everyone would get to walk away alive. Yes, do what you can to be a law abiding and respectful citizen, but It needs to be understood that after Slavery was abolished, most of white America was FURIOUS. For those who opposed the abolishment of slavery, simply being black and “free” was a crime in their eyes, and it was a crime that white authorities had to keep in order. White America’s economy and money making through slavery were disrupted, and now their purchased human beings who they whipped, bred, sold, hung, burned, maimed and raped were supposed to be their EQUAL??? It was unfathomable to them. Laws were established back then to help keep white Americans in power “for their losses”, and today many of those laws are STILL in place. This is where the systemic hate was conceived ... “hate that I am being forced to see you and treat you as an equal, and for that I will show you that you are not”. This mentality is embedded in American history and is STILL embedded in the minds of so many today, and it is called White Supremacy. People are still teaching their children that they are better than, or more worthy than Blacks simply because that ideology has been passed down through their families since slavery. Even if the teachings don’t go as far to say “you are better than them”, some are being taught that white people brought Africans to America to teach them how to be civilized, are were given free meals and living accommodations. That sounds like the propaganda that was spread about the “cafes” that Jewish people had access to for their “enjoyment” in concentration camps (look it up). All lies and cover ups for white corruption. I recently had the opportunity to explain to a white coworker, who is in their 50’s, that segregations was not meant to protect Black people. This coworker was under the impression that Black people went to and lived in black neighborhoods only because they were “safer there” …Can we talk about Tulsa??? I had to explain that we were FORCED to stay in our own neighborhoods because we were not allowed to be in white neighborhoods, sections of a bus, sections of a restaurant, section or a library, or any other facility that white people did not want to encounter a black face. This was a clear indication of distorted teachings! In America, there is obvious fear on bother sides of this white picket fence. On one side there is a fear of losing a way of life, and on the other side there is a fear of losing life all together. The fact is, a system and way of life should have NEVER been built on the backs of people who were stolen from their rich land to be forced into making someone else’s land rich FOR FREE. So, you see, it’s not about “obeying the authorities”, it’s about changing laws that were established to keep a specific group of people in power and protected. Should any white person who decide to hunt down and murder a former slave because they could no longer make money off them, THEY would be PROTECTED “in the name of the law”. This diluted version of American history has strategically hidden the truth behind people’s emotions, actions, and reactions, specifically Black people. America was never built to protect Black Lives; it was built to keep Black Lives in order.
By Maya Holton6 years ago in The Swamp
Swallowtail
The current global climate is boiling to a point of no return. This year is no different: the U.S. president blindly leading his citizens closer to war; protesters in Hong Kong fight for liberation; wildfires in Australia remind us of our dying planet; the coronavirus pandemic deaths brings light to economic flaws and ignorant leaders; now the staggering number of black lives lost to police brutality is fueling a racial justice revolution.
By Rose Hettich6 years ago in The Swamp
White Silence Is Violence
I just want to start off by saying to all the black people out there,that I am with you and although I will NEVER understand even a portion of what you go through everyday,I will continue to stand by you in your fight for human rights(something you shouldn’t have to be protesting for at all,ever). I truly believe that the time has finally come where we are not taking no for answer, we will keep fighting until there is equality for all.
By Nicole Stephenson6 years ago in The Swamp
The Carmel in My Coffee
This morning, a pretty average almost summer morning in late May, I, a pretty average white guy had left for work to make my hour plus commute to the bank. A little rain, a little sun, the highway lightly traveled, and my mind drifted away from the pandemic of the century, to the sweetness of my coffee. Hazelnut with the delicious finish of carmel, just nutty enough to get that earthy feel and sweet enough to cover the bitter.
By Jack Robertshaw6 years ago in The Swamp
As Well
I get it. I really do. I am a black man and it has been wearying, even for me, the worldwide movement that is Black Lives Matters. That is not to say I am sick of hearing about it. It is, unfortunately, a necessary movement but like the Me Too movement of recent years, a movement that was adopted by Hollywood but in truth was created a decade before to highlight sexual abuse and harassment, something related to half of the world’s population.
By Q-ell Betton6 years ago in The Swamp
Perspective on "Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States," by Seth Holmes.
Seth Holmes composed a wonderful book based on his ethnographic field work. His vignettes were memorable and personal from his arrest by the Border Patrol, to his realizations of the social capital his skin color afforded him. He also intertwined several theoretical concepts throughout the book to break down the social/structural inequalities his Triqui friends experienced crossing the border, working on the farm, and through dealing with the medical systems. Holmes introduced the concept of the violence continuum to illustrate their suffering, and discussed how the clinical gaze can be dehumanizing; both ideas are quite interesting and dissect what is happening with precision in the lives of Triqui migrant farm workers.
By Katherine Shackelford 6 years ago in The Swamp
A frank letter to white people who may have disputed the fact that Black Lives Matter.
I was not initially going to write this, but with my attention recently having been caught by a fellow Vocal Challenge writer, I felt a significant and immediate urge to do so.
By Lizzie James 6 years ago in The Swamp
