A Note on Charlottesville
“It comes as a great shock around the age of 5, 6, or 7 to discover that the flag to which you have pledged allegiance, along with everybody else, has not pledged allegiance to you.”
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White supremacy is as American as apple pie.
Which is why it has become difficult to express sincere surprise at the events that have unfolded in Charlottesville, VA these last few days.
The blatant display of white supremacy is disconcerting, definitely. I’ve never seen such an overt visual of the historical ‘white mob’ before. But, if you’re jarred by the presence of racism in Charlottesville, I harken you to focus your gaze on the foundation of this country and precisely what America represents. Charlottesville’s reflection is not an aberration, not a fluke, and is not something birthed by ‘new ideals’ from Trump’s presidency.
Nah, Charlottesville is a reality that’s embedded within the fabric of a country that has never existed for the protection, support, and health of Black people.
The police were never constructed to include the preservation of Black lives, so it’s a surprise to see Charlottesville officers act complicity alongside white supremacists?1 College campuses were never created as spaces for black and white students to walk side-by-side, so it’s a surprise when the University of Virginia becomes a rallying location for white supremacy?2 America has always protected the lives of white supremacists, so it’s a surprise when they feel fearless enough to ditch their hoods?3 4
It hasn’t been easy for me to understand these past few days, especially as I begin the college application process in the fall and must genuinely consider my safety as a student within these institutions. Like Baldwin said, it’s shocking to discover the true actions and intentions of this country. But, Charlottesville is yet another violent, tragic reminder of what this nation has always, rather vigorously, upheld.
Shout out to all those fighting back in Charlottesville. Stay safe.
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“It comes as a great shock to discover that the country which is your birthplace and to which your life and identity has not, in its whole system of reality, evolved any place for you.”
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