FFS: Not at all what I meant!
Slavery and genocide practiced in the US was an abomination and worse. There are not enough words to express just how horrific that was and it is foolish to not call out those horrors, that shame —even if the US did good things as well, including much that was in fact done by enslaved and oppressed peoples—often acknowledged by white people and ‘history.’
Murder, rape, abuses of power and many other heinous crimes are no less horrific because the perpetrators have to the poor or wrote good music or discovered something or wrote a good book or were kind to animals or whatever.
On a personal level, I knew that my stepgrandfather was a particularly nasty racist before I knew what that word was or how much it harmed people. At the same time, I also knew that he donated apples to local elementary schools, including one with black students—even though he had little money and for many of those years, did not have indoor plumbing. I was horrified at things he said and drew away from him because of things I heard him say. He died when I was still a kid so I actual opportunity to confront —or even real ability to process that the same man who was kind and affectionate to me also was a member of the Klan. I loved him but I put as much distance between myself and him as I could as a child. I cannot think of him without feeling e raged and disgusted and ashamed—which I felt at 6 years old. But as a 6 year old, I was powerless to do anything other than put distance between us so would not have to hear the disgusting things he said, even when I did not understand them. Likewise, I still lived the member of my extended family who at various times, sexually assaulted me and once tried to kill me—because the human mind has a great ability to compartmentalize, to sequester strong feelings in order to survive. I am want able to fully comprehend the gravity or the nature of those attacks until years had added and I was safe from him. Yeah, I can remember some good things about him and no, they don’t come close to wiping out the abuses he committed against me and others.
I am not grateful for slavery became sachet brought us jazz or soul or Jane’s Baldwin or Maya Angelou or Beyoncé or the many many brilliant black Americans whose keen intellect and drive, despite terrible oppression and even enslavement propelled forward our understanding of math and science and medicine and more.
But if we want change—real and lasting change—we need to look for and acknowledge and nurture what good does exist. Even if we cannot allow some people into polite society and we sure as hell cannot elect them to office.
I appreciate your acknowledgment of the horrors of slavery and the continued oppression faced by African Americans. Your story about your step-grandfather is powerful, and I can see how complex and painful that must have been for you.
I want to clarify a few points from my perspective. While it's important to recognize the good that can emerge from challenging circumstances, it’s equally important not to conflate the cultural contributions of oppressed people with the injustices they endured. African American music, literature, and achievements are indeed remarkable, and some of it was born out of resilience and resistance to systemic oppression. However, it is entirely inappropriate to attribute any of that success to the oppressive environment or to those who created that environment.
Black people, like all other people, were never inherently slaves despite being treated as such. Historically, Black people have thrived and achieved greatness without the presence of oppression. This is evident when (if) you look at the rich histories of some African nations.
For example, the Kingdom of Mali during the 13th and 14th centuries was a wealthy and influential empire known for its advanced trade networks, centers of learning, and impressive architectural feats. Timbuktu, a city in Mali, was a significant cultural and intellectual hub where scholars from various regions gathered to study. Similarly, the Kingdom of Kush, located to the south of ancient Egypt, was a powerful and prosperous civilization that thrived from around 1070 BCE to 350 CE. It was known for its monumental pyramids, sophisticated art, and influential trade connections with other great civilizations of the time. The Benin Empire in present-day Nigeria, which flourished from the 13th to the 19th century, is another example. The Benin Empire was renowned for its highly skilled craftsmanship in bronze and ivory, its complex political structure, and its powerful military.
My disdain for those who affiliate strongly with the Confederacy is rooted in the painful legacy of racism and discrimination that continues to affect my community today (even those on the African Continent). Your comment about needing to acknowledge and nurture the good that exists is true. How else do you think our people made it through what was done to us? But, It's important to take serious care not to diminish the significance of the pain and trauma that gave rise to those cultural contributions VIA erroneous thinking like "well, yawl made some great music!".
![Roll eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f644.png)