“Make America Great Again” really means to re-establish White control…
You called it.
I won’t live to see racism abolished in my lifetime, but I damn well won’t give up trying to end it while I still draw breath.
My daddy was one them “good ol’boys’ who was a staunch bigoted POS, pro-Wallace, confederate flag waver and foul mouthed Southerner happy to constantly pepper his speech with the ‘n-word’ without apology. I grew up in California, not Oklahoma and though my father was a crude, vocal supporter of racist ideology, I learned early on that in many ways he was less threatening than the veiled racist adults in my family and in my community who were better educated, better groomed, church going, mild mannered folk, but whose bigotries were far more dangerous because they were veiled. Their kids grew up financially secure, white Republicans who may shy away from using “distasteful” racist vernacular, but are nonetheless happy to fund, vote and support GOP candidates who embrace white nationalism. They shrug off racial profiling, voter suppression and endless examples of legal inequities against POC while hissing at black athletes who ‘take a knee’ all while enjoying freedoms and liberties they see as proof of their superiority at the hands of ‘divine providence’.
My father is dead now as are all those narrow minded adults I grew up around. But their progeny remains. I thought my generation would end or at the very least shift it into low gear. Boy, was I wrong.
In the end, uneducated, trailer trash differ little from the wealthy elite or even the self righteous middle class. Bigotry is bigotry regardless of bank account or zip code.
It must change. No more apologies. No more excuses.
Excellent essay, Mr. Spivey. Stay strong.
