Racism in America

The Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated 56 years ago on April 4, 1968. On this sad anniversary of that violent act designed to quiet an important American voice, we need to stop and ponder the continuing stain of racism in America.  Dr. King’s voice was a clarion trying to lead an oppressed people toward their rightful heritage as American citizens.  That assassination was a violent act reflecting the resistance to change from deep within the bowels of an institutionalized American racism.

Early Appeasement

In the formation of this nation, in our desire to break away from the control of the British oligarchs, the American colonies declared their independence from England to allow for the wealth of this nation to remain in America.  In order to accomplish this the leadership quickly saw that they would need popular support from the ordinary colonists.  A way to accomplish that was to form a modern democracy, an idea with little support or application in Europe, or really in the entire world.

The ideals were wonderful, like the idea that a government could be based on the support of the populace, not just on some kind of elite whether military or economic, or the idea that all people are created equal with certain inalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (the original phrase from John Locke was “the pursuit of property”).  The ideals of democracy implied equal treatment under the law and a sense of fairness, equality and justice.  All of these engendered popular support in conjunction with the escape from the rules of the English aristocracy.

However, there was already an established American aristocracy, especially in the southern colonies which relied on slavery for their incredible financial success.  At the time those slaves were from Africa and therefore black.  In order to appease those plantation owners and get their acceptance of the new nation, the founders made a deal with the devil by accepting and normalizing slavery as an institutionalized element of the new nation.

The Narrative

As with all bargains like this, it was necessary to develop a narrative to justify what, on the surface at least looked counter to the declaration of independence, the basic principles of democracy and perhaps basic Christian beliefs.  Those inconsistencies were explained away based on differences in color and ethnicity with some ethnic backgrounds seen as inferior to others and therefore not eligible for equality.  In fact, those people could be seen as not quite in the same category of humanity, but instead as an inferior, less human, species.

Once that narrative became established, it was easy to view the white race, especially whites from northern Europe, as the standard, the model, for what humanity should be.  As that narrative was inculcated, racism became normalized and finally institutionalized as the norm of what life, including Christian life, should be in an idealized world.  The unspoken part of that narrative was that black slavery was a necessity to the continuing financial success of the plantation system, a Southern Way of Life.

There was some attempt to suggest that, like taking care of prized work animals, it was important to treat slaves well in order to continue their productivity, but that was up to the individual owners.  It was like suggested “best practices” for slave owners.

Civil War

As time went on, voices were raised acknowledging the hypocrisy of the system of slavery within a supposed Christian democracy, leaving the impressions of the empty promises of democracy.  Those voices had been there from the very beginning and continued to grow, finally culminating in the American Civil War.  But even that war did not resolve the issue since the Reconstruction that Lincoln wanted for the South was short circuited after his assassination, allowing the institutional racism to be reestablished, and often supported in many ways in the North.  White supremacy was enforced with the Ku Klux Klan, with lynching, with voting restrictions and without access to the courts and justice; by the “Jim Crow” laws.

20th Century

Discrimination continued in many forms well into the 20^th Century with the abuse and exploitation of second-class citizenship evident in everyday life for blacks and other minorities in this nation.  Even as an understandable restlessness of that population turned into protests and Black leaders began to channel, coordinate and focus that restlessness. The conscience of the nation once again rose to challenge the economics that supported those systems and patterns of the past.  Change was in the air and enough people saw the basic need, the humanity, of beginning to integrate minorities into our civil society.

So new laws were passed, new opportunities began to appear, and progress seemed to be in the air.

But wait, under the surface that worm of institutionalized racism still existed, continually at work weakening every attempted advance in racial equality.

Another Kind of Civil War

And finally, the war was on.  It was not a war with democracy, or with the basic principles of this nation, nor was it a war on those who supported equality and full involvement for the black population.  It was a war to finally defeat that old, institutionalized racism.  Unfortunately, the institutionalized racism ran deep within the institutions of power and wealth, and they had turf to defend.  The narratives of racism still existed and provided an entire populace to be easily whipped into a frenzy by the ever-present opportunistic demagogues looking for an easy road to power.

And black leaders began to emerge, some leaders creating organizations, some rising to become spokespeople for the aspirations of the black populace and insisting on change and inclusion.  Two of the most prominent were Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr. both of whom were assassinated in attempts to prevent progress toward true integration and equality.

Unfortunately, the forces of institutionalized racism seem to be gaining momentum, not only because of the entrenched power, wealth and political clout they still retain, but also because a conservative political segment of America, now represented by a mainstream political party and even an ex-president who supports that institutionalize racism.

The Present

Meanwhile, too many Americans seem willing to simply sit and watch as minorities once again begin to slide back into second-class citizenship.  We watch as police violence against blacks continues.  We watch as schools begin to limit discussions of black and minority realities as well as their history, even banning books, while quietly allowing a thousand varieties of more subtle racism in modern America.

Either we will confront the reality of institutionalized racism in America and, together, find workable solutions, or we will continue on a course of conflict and suppression, trying to maintain a strange kind of status quo, seeing every attempt at integration into American society as some threat to our perceived racial purity and our entitled control and power.  Apparently believing that it is better to suppress or kill any perceived threat than to find a way forward.

Do we really think that there is any God, any religion that would support such treatment of segments of the human species?

We have constructed entire systems of hierarchies, of power based on arrogance and hubris, a carry-over from our white European heritage of empire building at the expense of indigenous populations and other races and ethnicities, enforced by domination and violence.  The continued death and destruction cannot possibly solve the problem or even provide any meaningful pathway to thoughtful discussion.

Will we continue to allow the stain of racism to taint our nation in its progress toward a meaningful democracy, or will we act like mature adults and find a solution to blot out that stain?

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