American Racism: A Tragic Legacy Still Impacting Today

HISTORY THAT STILL RESONATES Many of these afore-mentioned events occurred in our living memory. They do not represent ancient history as those who claim the mantle of conservatism suggest. The wounds are still fresh and painful. A better understanding of the past is critically important to the present and future. History matters. The often-heard statement that racism in America was neither systemic nor institutional is patently false. This ridiculous assertion is demonstrative of ignorance, willfully embraced delusion, or lies. The prevalence of racism in America is, to quote the US Declaration of Independence, “self-evident.” To deny it is to deny reality. Still, many within the ranks of the GOP do just that. As mentioned in the editor’s note, one of the co-authors of this commentary is a Black man and a retired US Army brigadier general. His life is clearly a success story, regardless of race. Only a very few earn the right to wear stars on their epaulets. Despite his undeniable achievements, more African Americans, like him, have found racism within society a consistent and pernicious roadblock to advancement. Those persistent and often veiled roadblocks tend to destroy hope, the quintessential human precondition necessary to set difficult and demanding goals for oneself. Without hope for something better, we do not strive. When we do not strive for personal and professional betterment, something better never materializes. Those without hope can find themselves trapped in an ever-devolving pattern of despair. HOME OWNERSHIP A personal story from one of the co-authors may better make the point. In his own words — Home ownership is often the primary vehicle for passing on wealth to the next generation. Although not government-sponsored, a form of business racism in home appraisals is commonplace. Two years ago, I needed to have my house appraised. My neighbor advised me to “whitewash” my home first. Her husband was an attorney, and his firm had represented and won a case against an appraisal company for discriminating against African American homeowners. She advised us to remove all family pictures and other evidence that it was a Black-owned home. She said we should ask our White friends to welcome and meet the appraiser and then walk them through the house. Of course, my wife and I were urged to leave the premises. Why does this matter? Aside from the understandable anger that I felt, the lower appraisal value can impact the family for years. Our story is not an isolated incident. Another reprehensible business practice, termed “redlining,” kept Black people out of more desirable neighborhoods. THE HORRIFIC STATISTICS The National Urban League reports the following statistics for 2022. The baseline for comparison is with White people: Median household incomes are 37 % less; married couples are twice as likely to be denied a mortgage to purchase a home; life expectancy is at least 4 years less; women are 59 % more likely to die in childbirth; men are 52 % more likely to die from prostate cancer and 9 times more likely to die from homicide; students are less likely to graduate college; far more likely to suffer voter suppression; and three times more likely to face threats or uses of force during police encounters. Per prisonpolicy.org, Black people, while constituting a mere 13 % of the general population, represent 38 % of those imprisoned. These sad and tragic statistics go on and on. By every metric we could find, African Americans in the US continue to suffer from the aftereffects of institutional racism. POLITICIZED RACISM The Republican Party, aided and abetted by a highly monetized right-wing Media, has successfully weaponized race. They regularly condemn Critical Race Theory, which is more a hypothesis and a mere attempt by a little-known academic to explain why so many have suffered so much for so long. They regularly deny that racism still exists in America. They also often attack Democrats for promulgating the idea of White privilege. While we take no issue with the reality, we would offer the thought that White advantage may be a better choice of words. For example, it is no privilege to be born White and poor in America, but in a majority White society, it can certainly be an advantage. Right-wing politicians repetitively denigrate Democrats as WOKE. No surprise here, the GOP shelters White supremacists on its fringe. Rosa Parks courageously suffered police arrest for refusing to give up her seat at the front of a bus to a White person in Alabama. Alabama. Pictured is Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (ca. 1955) (photo: National Archives and Records Administration Records of the U.S / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) Therefore, race-related problems get soft-pedaled. We could all do better by paying more attention to simple compassion and understanding. At its simplest, one could argue that this is the real meaning of WOKE. Yes, if one seeks to understand racism and subsequently feels compassion for those who were so ill-treated, it is WOKE. Tragically, the word has become a cruel right-wing cudgel used to bludgeon those who merely possess empathy for the downtrodden. RELEVANCE AND CONCLUSION The topic of past systemic governmentally supported racism remains a sensitive subject. However, that regrettable heritage still negatively impacts the present. It is an undeniable fact. The legacy lives on in business practices. Not wanting to accept that a reprehensible past still impacts us today within the commercial sector is as much about ignorance as denial. The history of Black people in America is afforded short shrift in public schools nationwide. The very existence of Black History as an academic pursuit in colleges and universities across America is the result of mainstream historians ignoring the subject for decades. Whites, particularly those who know few African Americans, continue to say there is no legacy of systemic racism because it is – simply put – not relevant to them. They do not see it, so, for them, it does not exist. Better understanding the past through improved public education is the key to unlocking a better future – making it a relevant study for everyone. END **Editor’s Note: This revised commentary first appeared in Europe in the Netherlands’ “Atlantic Perspectives Magazine.” – GDM — About the Authors Remo Butler is a retired US Army Brigadier General. Butler holds a master’s degree in personnel management and is a graduate of both the US Armed Forces Staff and Army War Colleges. He spent most of his nearly three-decade-long career in multiple senior command and staff assignments, culminating as Director of the Center for Command Support, United States Special Operations Command. Following his retirement from active military service, he continued to work in various leading consultant positions in the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Robert Bruce Adolph is a retired senior US Army Special Forces soldier and UN security chief, who is a long-time observer and writer on American politics. He holds graduate degrees in both international affairs and national security studies & strategy. Adolph has been a frequent guest columnist for Florida’s Tampa Bay Times, the Netherlands Atlantic Perspectives Magazine, and the US Military Times. He authored the well-reviewed book, “Surviving the United Nations: The Unexpected Challenge.” and is a successful international speaker. Learn more at http://robertbruceadolph.com. — *** Editor’s Note: If you liked this article, you’d definitely want to check out Bob’s latest book: Surviving the United Nations – A True Story of Violence, Corruption, Betrayal, and Redemption.  It’s an eye-opening account of a Green Beret’s second career at the United Nations.  And don’t just take my word for it, here is what Publishers Weekly had to say:  “In his humanitarian and peacekeeping missions for the United Nations he dealt with child soldiers, blood diamonds, a double hostage-taking, an invasion by brutal guerrillas, an emergency aerial evacuation, a desperate hostage recovery mission, tribal gunfights, refugee camp violence, suicide bombings, and institutional corruption. His UN career brought him face to face with the best and worst of human nature, and he shares it all here.” Click the link above to pick up your copy from Amazon today. You’ll find it every bit as riveting as the author himself.