A Black Man Tells the Truth About Racism in America
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Last year, a black man by the name of Derrick Wilburn came forward at a school board meeting in Colorado and gave a three-minute personal testimony. It was one of the most sensible and powerful statements on the race situation in America to be found anywhere.
This is, in part, what Mr. Wilburn had to say that day:
“I am the direct descendant of the North American slave trade. Both my parents are black, all four of my grandparents are black, all eight of my great great grandparents, all sixteen of my great greats. On my mother's side my ancestors were enslaved in Alabama. On my father’s side we were enslaved in Texas.
I am not oppressed, and I'm not a victim. I neither oppressed nor a victim. I travel all across this country of ours, and I check into hotels, and I fly commercially, and I walk into retail establishments, and I order food in restaurants. I go wherever I want whenever I want. I am treated with kindness dignity and respect, literally from coast to coast.
I have three children. They are not oppressed either, although they are victims. I've taught my children that they are victims of three things: their own ignorance, their own laziness, and their own poor decision making. That is all.
My children… we are not victims of America. We are not victims of some unseen 190-year-old force that kind of floats around in the ether. Putting critical race theory into our classrooms is taking our nation in the wrong direction. Racism in America would by and large be dead today if it were not for certain people and institutions keeping it on life support. And sadly, sadly, very sadly one of those institutions is the American education system. I can think of nothing more damaging to a society than to tell a baby born today that she has grievances against another baby born today simply because of what their ancestors may have done two centuries ago.
There is simply no point in doing that to our children. And putting critical race theory into our classrooms in part does that. Putting critical race theory into our classrooms is not combatting racism is fanning the flames of what little embers are left. I encourage you to support this resolution: let racism die the death it deserves.”
You can visit Derrick Wilburn’s website here.
I grew up in a small town in Georgia in the 1950’s-60’s. Jim Crow was ever present with segregated restrooms, dining for whites only etc. My mom, a New Yorker with empathy and a social conscience taught my sister and me to see through this barrier and understand that all of this must and eventually would change. Now over a half century later, my observation is quite clear that while racism and bigotry are still alive in isolated cases (and not only in the South), this is nothing like what took place back then. What is far more alarming to me is seeing the crazed attacks I hear from people of influence attacking those of us who have chosen not to take a certain medical procedure. By refusing work, housing, entertainment, and even medical treatment because we reject a gene therapy which has been proven unsafe and ineffective, the dark forces behind this new apartheid are utilizing the lowest of low tactics (fear, anger, ignorance) to divide us all. This is far more dangerous than any racial chasm I’ve ever encountered.
The man is correct. Just watch young children playing at recess or at a playground. It's genuine.