A Simplified History Lesson of the United States

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400 years ago

White people brought black people over here and enslaved them, sold them and treated them as less than human. For 250 years. While white men built the country (on the backs of slavery and on land stolen from Native Americans) and created its laws and its systems of government (without a thought of people of color). While 10, 15 generations of white families got to grow and flourish and make choices that could make their lives better.

150 years ago

White people "freed" black people from slavery. But then angry white people created laws that made it impossible for them to vote. Or to own land. Or to have the same rights as white people. And even erected monuments glorifying people who actively had fought to keep them enslaved. All while another 5, 10 generations of white families got to grow, accumulate, perpetuate wealth, gain land and get an education.

60 years ago

White people made it "legal" for black people to vote, and to be "free" from discrimination. But angry white people still fought to keep schools segregated, closed off neighborhoods to white people only, made it harder for black people to get bank loans, a quality education or health care. All while another 2-3 generations of white families got to grow and pass their wealth down to their children and their children's children.

Today

We have entered an age where we have the technology to make PUBLIC the things that were already happening in private-- the beatings, the stop and frisk laws, the unequal distribution of justice, the police brutality (police began in America as slave patrols designed to catch runaway slaves).
And only now, after 400+ years and 20+ generations of a white head start, are we STARTING to truly have a dialogue about what it means to be black.

White privilege

White privilege doesn't mean you haven't suffered or fought or worked hard. It doesn't mean white people are responsible for the sins of our ancestors. It doesn’t mean you can’t be proud of who you are. 

It DOES mean that we need to acknowledge that the system our ancestors created is and was built FOR white people. It DOES mean that present day white people benefit from the heinous treatment of African-Americans and Native Americans by their ancestors. 

It DOES mean that white people aren't disadvantaged because of the color of their skin and it DOES mean that white people owe it to their neighbors-- of all colors-- to acknowledge that and work to make our world more equitable.”

The absence of equity is why I join in the phrase “BLACK LIVES MATTER”!

John L. Ferri

jlferri@epix.net