WHAT ARE AMERICA'S FAMILY SECRETS
UNPACKING THOSE SKELETONS IN YOUR CLOSET
Are you ready to learn about America's family secrets? Well, get ready to laugh because this is going to be a wild ride!
According to a recent investigation by Reuters, over 100 of America's leaders - lawmakers, presidents, governors, and justices - have ancestors who owned slaves. And they're keeping it a secret! I mean, come on, guys, it's time to let the skeletons out of the closet and confront our past mistakes.
Let's start with the lawmakers. These are the people who make the laws that govern our country. But did you know that some of them are descendants of slave owners? It's like having a fox guard the henhouse. How can we take them seriously when they come from a lineage of oppressors? At least they're not trying to pass laws that bring back slavery, right? (I hope not.)
Moving on to the presidents. From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, many of our founding fathers owned slaves. And yet, we put them on a pedestal and celebrate their achievements. I mean, sure, they helped create this great nation of ours, but let's not forget the fact that they also owned human beings. It's like praising a chef for making a delicious meal while ignoring the fact that he used rotten ingredients.
Next on the list are the governors. These are the people who run our states and make decisions that affect our daily lives. But did you know that some of them have ancestors who owned slaves? It's like having a blind person lead a sightseeing tour. How can they truly understand the struggles of their black constituents when their own ancestors were part of the problem?
And finally, we have the justices. These are the people who interpret the laws and ensure that justice is served. But did you know that some of them have ancestors who owned slaves? It's like having a referee who's secretly rooting for one team. How can we trust them to make unbiased decisions when their own family history is tainted by slavery?
But let's not forget about the impact of slavery on the values of both black and white Americans. Jim Crow laws were created by white southerners to enforce racial segregation across the South from the 1870s through the 1960s. They had a negative impact on the values of both black and white Americans in various ways.
Some of the effects of Jim Crow laws on black Americans were restrictions imposed by the black codes that made it hard for them to gain economic independence, segregated and inferior facilities for public transportation, education, housing, employment, health care, and recreation, limited opportunities compared with those for white children, denial of the right to vote, to serve on juries, to run for office, or to participate as equals in the social or economic life of their area, and violence and terrorism by lynch mobs and the Ku Klux Klan who wanted to reenforce white supremacy.
Some of the effects of Jim Crow laws on white Americans were a sense of superiority and entitlement over black Americans based on their skin color, rationalization of racism and discrimination as necessary for maintaining social order and progress, benefit from the exploitation and oppression of black labor and resources, fearfulness and hostility towards any challenge or change to the status quo of segregation, and lost opportunities to learn from and interact with diverse cultures and perspectives.
The legacy of Jim Crow is still felt today in the persistent racial disparities and inequalities in education, health, wealth, employment, housing, criminal justice, and political representation. It's time to confront our past mistakes with humor and honesty. After all, laughter is the best medicine. And if we can't laugh at ourselves, then what's the point?
Report reveals many current U.S. leaders have slaveholding ancestors | PBS NewsHour https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/report-reveals-many-current-u-s-leaders-have-slaveholding-ancestors
Big Education Ape: AMERICA'S FAMILY SECRETS: REUTERS ASK WHAT'S IN YOUR WOODPILE http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/06/americas-family-secrets-reuters-ask.html
THE DEFT DIVE
According to Britannica¹, Jim Crow laws were laws created by white southerners to enforce racial segregation across the South from the 1870s through the 1960s. They had a negative impact on the values of both black and white Americans in various ways.
Some of the effects of Jim Crow laws on black Americans were:
- - They faced restrictions imposed by the black codes that made it hard for them to gain economic independence¹.
- - They had to use segregated and inferior facilities for public transportation, education, housing, employment, health care, and recreation¹².
- - They had limited opportunities compared with those for white children¹.
- - They were denied the right to vote, to serve on juries, to run for office, or to participate as equals in the social or economic life of their area¹².
- - They were subjected to violence and terrorism by lynch mobs and the Ku Klux Klan who wanted to reenforce white supremacy¹².
- - Many of them migrated to cities in the North and West to escape segregation and violence in the South¹.
Some of the effects of Jim Crow laws on white Americans were:
- - They developed a sense of superiority and entitlement over black Americans based on their skin color⁴.
- - They rationalized their racism and discrimination as necessary for maintaining social order and progress⁴⁵.
- - They benefited from the exploitation and oppression of black labor and resources⁵.
- - They became fearful and hostile towards any challenge or change to the status quo of segregation⁵.
- - They lost the opportunity to learn from and interact with diverse cultures and perspectives⁴.
Bing, 7/5/2023
(1) Jim Crow Laws | Causes and Effects | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/summary/Jim-Crow-Laws-Causes-and-Effects.
(2) Jim Crow (article) | Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-gilded-age/south-after-civil-war/a/jim-crow.
(3) Impact - Jim Crow Laws. https://jimcrowlaw1877.weebly.com/impact.html.
(4) A Brief History of Jim Crow - Constitutional Rights Foundation. https://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/a-brief-history-of-jim-crow.
(5) What Is The Impact Of Jim Crow Laws On African Americans. https://www.studymode.com/essays/What-Is-The-Impact-Of-Jim-Crow-85895241.html.
According to Merriam-Webster², black codes were **any of various racially discriminatory laws that were passed in 1865 and 1866 in states that had been part of the Confederate States of America and that were enacted in order to maintain white supremacy after the formal abolition of slavery at the end of the American Civil War**. They originated in the slave codes, which defined slaves as property⁴.
Some examples of black codes were:
- - Laws that required black people to sign yearly labor contracts with white employers; if they refused, they risked being arrested, fined and forced into unpaid labor¹.
- - Laws that prohibited black people from owning land, renting property, or testifying against white people in court¹³.
- - Laws that imposed curfews, vagrancy laws, and other restrictions on the movement and assembly of black people¹³.
- - Laws that regulated the types of occupations and wages available to black workers, often reserving the most profitable and desirable jobs for white people¹³.
The black codes were widely opposed by the Radical Republicans in Congress, who passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction Acts of 1867-1868 to override them and protect the rights of black citizens. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, also granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born or naturalized in the United States, regardless of race. However, many states continued to enforce discriminatory laws and practices against black people under the guise of \"separate but equal\" doctrine until the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Bing, 7/5/2023
(1) Black code Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20code.
(2) black codes summary | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/summary/black-code.
(3) Black Codes - Definition, Dates & Jim Crow Laws | HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-codes.
(4) Black Codes legal definition of Black Codes. https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Black+Codes.
According to a book by Ruth Thompson-Miller, Joe R. Feagin and Leslie H. Picca³⁴⁵, Jim Crow's legacy is **the lasting impact of segregation on the lives of African Americans who lived through it, as well as its impact on future generations**. Some of the aspects of this legacy are:
- - The psychological trauma and emotional scars of living under a system of oppression, violence and humiliation³⁴⁵.
- - The intergenerational transmission of racialized memories, stories and coping strategies among African American families and communities³⁴⁵.
- - The persistent racial disparities and inequalities in education, health, wealth, employment, housing, criminal justice and political representation³⁴⁵.
- - The ongoing struggle for civil rights, social justice and racial healing in the face of systemic racism and discrimination³⁴⁵.
Some scholars and activists have argued that the politics of today are partially driven by the end of Jim Crow and the irrational fears of some white people, especially in the South, who feel threatened by the demographic, cultural and economic changes in the country. They have also claimed that some political parties, particularly the Republican Party, have used the so-called \"Southern Strategy\" to appeal to white voters by exploiting racial resentment, anxiety and backlash against the civil rights movement and its achievements¹².
Here are some links where you can learn more about the lasting legacy of Jim Crow on America:
Bing, 7/5/2023
(1) Jim Crow's Legacy: The Lasting Impact of Segregation. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442230286/Jim-Crows-Legacy-The-Lasting-Impact-of-Segregation.
(2) Jim Crow's Legacy : The Lasting Impact of Segregation - Google Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Jim_Crow_s_Legacy.html?id=7WmPBQAAQBAJ.
(3) Jim Crow's Legacy : The Lasting Impact of Segregation - Google Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Jim_Crow_s_Legacy.html?id=kMfooAEACAAJ.
(4) Jim Crow Legacy Continues Today | Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/jim-crow-legacy-continues-today.
(5) Effects of Jim Crow Era Live On in Modern America, Some Say. https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_effects-jim-crow-era-live-modern-america-some-say/6204908.html.
The history of the Southern Strategy is a complex and controversial topic in American politics. It refers to **a political tactic employed by the Republican Party in the mid-20th century to appeal to white Southern voters by exploiting racial tensions and opposition to civil rights advancements**¹. It is often associated with the presidential campaigns of Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater, who tried to win over white Southerners who felt alienated by the Democratic Party's support for civil rights legislation and integration¹².
However, some historians and political scientists have challenged or nuanced this view, arguing that:
- - The Southern Strategy was not solely based on race, but also on other social and cultural issues, such as feminism, religion, crime, patriotism, and economic conservatism⁵.
- - The Southern Strategy was not only a top-down strategy by Republican elites, but also a bottom-up response by grassroots activists and voters who mobilized around their own interests and identities¹.
- - The Southern Strategy was not only a Southern phenomenon, but also a national one, as Republicans appealed to white voters across the country who shared similar values and grievances⁵.
- - The Southern Strategy was not only a Republican invention, but also a Democratic failure, as Democrats lost support among white Southerners due to their internal divisions, policy mistakes, and lack of outreach².
The Southern Strategy had significant consequences for American politics, such as:
- - The political realignment of the South from a solidly Democratic region to a predominantly Republican one¹².
- - The ideological shift of the Republican Party to the right and the Democratic Party to the left on racial and social issues¹².
- - The polarization of the electorate along racial and cultural lines¹².
- - The marginalization of black voters and politicians in the South and in the Republican Party¹².
Bing, 7/5/2023
(1) Southern strategy - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy.
(2) How the ‘Party of Lincoln’ Won Over the Once Democratic South - HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/how-the-party-of-lincoln-won-over-the-once-democratic-south.
(3) The Western Origins of the “Southern Strategy” - The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/158320/western-origins-southern-strategy.
(4) Southern Strategy | Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/southern-strategy.
(5) Southern Strategy · George Washington's Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/southern-strategy/.
The impact of the Southern Strategy on today's politics is still evident and debated. Some of the possible impacts are:
- - It contributed to the **political realignment** of the South from a solidly Democratic region to a predominantly Republican one, especially among white voters¹².
- - It influenced the **ideological shift** of the Republican Party to the right and the Democratic Party to the left on racial and social issues, creating a more polarized and partisan political landscape¹².
- - It shaped the **electoral strategy** of the Republican Party for decades to come, relying on appealing to conservative whites, especially in the South, while losing support among black voters and other minorities¹².
- - It reflected and reinforced the **racial resentment** and backlash among some white voters against the civil rights movement and its achievements, as well as against demographic, cultural and economic changes in the country¹³.
- - It intersected and interacted with other factors, such as **religion, gender, class, region and culture**, that also influenced the political preferences and identities of voters in the South and beyond¹⁴.
Bing, 7/5/2023
(1) The New Southern Strategy | Othering & Belonging Institute. https://belonging.berkeley.edu/new-southern-strategy.
(2) The Long Southern Strategy: How Chasing White Voters in the South .... https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/long-southern-strategy-how-chasing-white-voters-south-changed-american-politics-angie-maxwell.
(3) The Western Origins of the “Southern Strategy” - The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/158320/western-origins-southern-strategy.
(4) Southern strategy - Political Dictionary. https://politicaldictionary.com/words/southern-strategy/.
