Submitted by Terrence Satterfield
Throughout American history, the government has had many opportunities to correct, change, or make equal the race relations problem, they started, when they enslave the African Americans. Separate but equal, the Plessy v. Ferguson case was one attempt to correct a wrong. Which lead to Brown v. Board of Education, and as we learned in class these two cases changed little to nothing in terms of equal education among the races. This was one, opportunity lost. By denying African Americans a government subsidized mortgage loan in the development of the suburbs, during the fifties, was a crippling effect for racial equality. Another lost opportunity, “Do something, anything!“ about the inequality of American society because of race.
Throughout American history, the government has had many opportunities to correct, change, or make equal the race relations problem, they started, when they enslave the African Americans. Separate but equal, the Plessy v. Ferguson case was one attempt to correct a wrong. Which lead to Brown v. Board of Education, and as we learned in class these two cases changed little to nothing in terms of equal education among the races. This was one, opportunity lost. By denying African Americans a government subsidized mortgage loan in the development of the suburbs, during the fifties, was a crippling effect for racial equality. Another lost opportunity, “Do something, anything!“ about the inequality of American society because of race.
The one opportunity the government had to make amends for slavery was giving forty acres and a mule to the former slaves of the south. Unfortunately, Andrew Jackson, Lincoln’s vice president, defaulted the presidency, due to assassination, was an undercover racist, he stopped the most critical government decision to “try to make good the wrong they did for enslavement.” By pardoning the former white plantation owners, and granting the return of their land, African Americans were immediately restored to second class citizenship. Politicians are still under cover racist today, but if the decision was made to give the 40 acres and a mule to my ancestors, then the attitude of the psychological warfare would be more positive and as a nation we would have moved pass the damage of slavery. The playing field would be leveled here in 2011, well almost…
Please view and Play video up to :33 sec. then pause run to 1:15 and play ‘til end
Yes we need to get over it, move forward from the history of slavery, we all do. But to equal the effect slavery damaged to racial equality, we would need a government decision equally as strong, to correct the wrong. Not necessarily, 40 acres and a mule but definitely something culturally strong that would serve as a reversal of fortune. An idea that can work to solve the racial ignorance and equality here in America, I take from our police departments division of internal affairs. We can create a Fair Acts Bureau of investigation overseeing the government. This would be run by and for the citizens of the United States.
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