For Black History Month, Study White Violence and Injustice
They play huge roles in Black History Month too. Let’s finally give them the attention they deserve.
They play huge roles in Black History Month too. Let’s finally give them the attention they deserve.
Black resilience and perseverance are amazing, but I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to talk about the abuse we endure. The legacy of violence and abuse.
For the record, I’m not teaching nice stories on the Civil Rights Era for Black History Month that will make White people walk away feeling accomplished for how little they’ve done to advance African-American Black people because of racism. I feel White violence and systemic injustices have played huge roles in the lack of progress and regression of Black people fighting for justice, opportunities, and freedom.
The fact we’ve been able to accomplish anything in this nation is nothing short of a miracle. Not only do we find a way to persevere, we somehow manage to save America too.
White people have this fetishized, infantile way of viewing Black History. Most White people don’t care although they should. It would reveal to them the root of their violent tendencies and apathy towards Black people.
In school, most kids are lucky to get a good week of a Black History lesson from White educators, especially in White predominantly school systems and school districts with Black schools overrun with White educators. White America’s disinterest in real American history is the reason all Americans are destined to continue reliving our 17th century past instead of moving on like civilized people into the 21st century.
The violence of Whiteness is exhausting for me as a Black mother, activist, writer, citizen, and taxpayer. I can’t for the life of me understand why White people aren’t tired of injustice or White violence. The fact we have one skimpy month, twenty-eight days to share with the world our history because America refuses to acknowledge our history is insane. There is a lot of Black history out there, but more of our history involves White people. No matter how hard we try to separate ourselves from Whiteness, White violence always seems to connects us.
This year as the nation attempts to move forward post-insurrection, remember the root cause of it. It was the desire to deny Black voters their rights so that racists could maintain White power. A large group of White people from numerous socioeconomic backgrounds want to maintain White rule. There are plenty of White people willing to kill others and burn country to the ground in order to maintain their sick, racist beliefs.
Black history is about White violence, fighting oppression, and the constant stripping away of our rights. Black history is American history. It gives the appearance we’re supernatural, but we’re not. Our constant fighting give the appearance to the world we’re some type of warriors when all we’ve been doing since we were freed is try to be free.
White people need to reflect on this. The violence. Our history is this nation is rooted in violence.
As you go about the month dipping into and out of Black history, please take some time each day to learn something new about the violence of White people, including the violence of White immigrants in America.
I’ll leave on this note with some leads, but please use these only as leads on the journey to educating yourselves on the Black history of White violence. Part of our history is about survival. We’ve survived hundreds of years of violence and we’re heading into another season of it.
No one is going to be held accountable for it. This is the injustice of White Supremacy. It will not punish itself so we can receive justice. It will not punish itself so our nation can heal. This is Black history too.
What I hope White people will take away from Black history month this year is that White people need to change the way they see Black people and their role in our history. We continue dealing with White violence because America doesn’t educate its people and doesn’t believe in punishing racist. The capital insurrection on January 6th could have been the Draft Riot of 1863 insurrection.
America will not change unless White people change. Black people also must come to the realization that if White people have no plans in changing, they’re never going to be safe. The full potential of Black people will never be realized as long as White violence and perverted justice rule this hard-headed nation, preventing opportunities, infringing on our freedoms, and ensuring there can be no equality. The other thing is that when you view Black history through the lens of White violence, you will also see the state and federal government’s role in it. White violence is also political. We cannot forget the politics of White violence.
For Black History Month 2021, study White violence, American cruelty, anti-Blackness, and injustice. You’re getting ready to see a lot of it in the coming months.
America is getting too old not to know better. We too wise not to be doing better. At some point, we're going to have to admit we like who we are and what we’ve become as a nation. It’s Black History Month. It’s also another year of White violence. We can’t keep living like this.
Black people in this nation deserve better.
Marley K. 2021 in Quarantine. Follow me or visit my space, Marleyisms.
Black History Month Resources on White Violence:
