Forget the History You Were Taught

The one event in 1906 in America most remembered is probably the San Francisco earthquake that occurred in April of that year. Big, big news flashed around the globe. History books centered on it as the one event that made all other events in 1906 pale in comparison. What newspaper doesn't love a good catastrophe?

Fast forward to 2022 and even though I am someone who appreciates and tries to follow history, good and bad, I was faced with another event I knew nothing about until I read an article from AP this morning. 

In and around Atlanta, Georgia on September 24, 1906, White mobs killed at least 25 African Americans and gravely injured hundreds in a fit of evil racist anger that, at the time, was blamed on the Blacks. Black businesses were ransacked, burned and defaced throughout black communities.Yet, it was never given its due in the history books White editors controlled. Better to grieve for the mostly white victims in San Francisco and not the deaths of blacks who died horrifically in Atlanta?

White people and their interests are more important than anything held sacred by African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and maybe most egregiously of all, Native Americans. To say I am ashamed of my race would be an understatement.

I was going to again tear White people a new asshole. I realized though, that that is all I ever seem to do lately. My disrespect and anger at my own race will mean nothing until White America admits its past as racist jerkwads and promises to change their ways, especially by eliminating the covert racism that exists behind the facade and fool's paradise we have constructed for ourselves.

To the end of trying to understand just how awful we treated anyone who didn't look like us, think like us, or talk like us, I am going to hit the books. Hopefully I can share information on what we did in our past that we would love to forget, but never should forget. 

Forget the history you were taught and find the history you should know. We will all be better off if we all do this.

Keep it 'tween the ditches ...................................

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I think my music choice this morning is my first conscious repeat of a tune to go with a post. I googled "music about lynching". The Billy Holiday tune, "Strange Fruit" was the top pick. I used the same song not too long ago. There is a reason it pops up first. The song, the singer, the music lend the notion of a lynching its proper accents. I would say "enjoy", but that would probably be disingenuous.