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Summary

The website content reflects on the United States' historical reliance on oppression and exploitation, particularly of African Americans, and critiques the re-election of President Trump as a continuation of these problematic values, emphasizing the need for genuine diversity, inclusion, and equity to truly make the country great.

Abstract

The article "United States’ History Comes to Life" delves into the complex relationship between the country's historical dependence on slavery and systemic racism, and the contemporary political landscape as reflected in the 2020 presidential election. It argues that the re-election of Donald Trump, despite his behavior and policies that many view as antithetical to diversity and equity, reveals a prioritization of power and economic gain over humanity and social justice. The piece suggests that the nation's greatness, often attributed to its past, is deeply flawed due to its foundation on the subjugation of Black people and the continued resistance to racial equity. The author calls for a reevaluation of personal and national values, urging allies to commit to the hard work of healing and transformation necessary to achieve a truly inclusive and equitable society.

Opinions

  • The author believes that the United States' historical achievements are tainted by its reliance on slavery and the oppression of Black people.
  • Voting for Trump is seen as a vote against diversity and equity, and an endorsement of white supremacy.
  • The article criticizes the hypocrisy of those who claim to support equity while voting for policies and leaders that undermine it.
  • It is suggested that the country's moral compass is skewed, as evidenced by the acceptance and re-election of a president with a record of lies, insults, and unethical behavior.
  • The author points out the irony in the notion of "making America great again" when the country's past greatness was built on the backs of enslaved people and sustained through systemic racism.
  • There is a call to action for white allies to move beyond performative allyship and to integrate the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equity into all aspects of life, not just in the workplace.
  • The author expresses profound disappointment with the state of diversity and inclusion efforts, which are seen as superficial and ineffective without genuine commitment and community-wide application.
  • The piece concludes with a resolve to continue advocating for real change, emphasizing truth and reconciliation over fear and intimidation.

United States’ History Comes to Life

You are who you vote for

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If you want to know why diversity efforts are failing, we need only to look at election results. Even if I concede that Trump is right for the economy, I must believe that money matters above all else. Of course, it does. This is the United States.

But you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t maintain happy, positive relationships with the people whose interests you vote against. Don’t expect your employees, members, or friends to believe you when you say you are interested in equity.

“It’s not whether you win or lose. It’s how you play the game.” We used to say that. But that’s one rule the United States has never played by. Everything good that has come to the United States has been achieved by cheating and killing, starting with the S-word. We would not be the United States we are today without slavery.

White people keep insisting that we cannot hold them accountable for the choices of their forefathers. The assumption is that they wouldn’t have had anything to do with owning slaves if they had a choice. They presume a higher moral code that should exonerate them from all responsibility to “fix” the past's wrongs.

Back to the Future

Well, twice in four years, you have shown us who you are if you voted for Trump. You cannot deny your focus on power and money over humanity and equity. There is no amount of Black blood that can be shed to earn your compassion. Black bodies are a tool in the United States. So, you vote for the guy who refused to denounce white supremacy.

All year long, we watched the leader of our country mismanage the pandemic so much that he caught COVID himself. The United States has the highest death rate compared to similar countries. We also know very well of Trump’s propensity to lie, insult people, dismiss women, and display numerous character flaws.

Trump behaves in a way that most jobs would never tolerate from an employee, most parents would never accept from their children, and no friend should tolerate it. You are no longer an innocent bystander once you vote for him after you have seen the behavior. You are complicit.

Great again

President Trump continuously displayed unacceptable behavior throughout his term. But, we accepted the intolerable. Now, many people voted for it again! Trump promised to make the United States great again.

The United States became great while it had free labor from slaves. It thrived while there were Black codes and the KKK to keep Black people living in fear of death if they acted free even after slavery. Everything was peachy keen as long as white people only had to worry about white people.

God forbid, and white god does, there should be room for competition from people of color, much less consideration for how we are treated. “They're taking our jobs,” many white people continue to exclaim with the expectation that anything good created in the United States inherently belongs to them, without merit. The “in-your-face” reminders of the wrongs of this country are too much for frail egos that espouse meritocracy while practicing white supremacy.

Social Evolution

For decades, I have had more white “friends” than Black because of my surroundings. I serve in organizations, teach at institutions, and spend a fair amount of my entertainment in white environments where people claim to care about me. This morning I wondered how many voted in my interest. I am just one more tool for them.

This country just failed the litmus test on morality. My friends who voted for Trump failed the litmus test on friendship, and this is a request for a gut check. I don’t need friends who don’t see color because they also don’t see oppression. They are too busy noticing their discomfort when confronted with race dialogue and accountability.

Revolution

The neck-to-neck presidential race suggests a civil revolution prompted by white people who want desperately to hold onto their ill-gotten gains and are willing to do so by any means necessary. The same immoral consciousness it took to strip Africans from their homeland and turn them into slaves is the same corrupt consciousness it takes to vote in a man who refuses to denounce white supremacy. Not only does he refuse to condemn it, but he also exemplifies it in his political rhetoric and policies.

Trump gets the job done, they say. But his supporters deny that the job is securing white privilege, implicitly and explicitly. He does it with rudeness while breaking the rules and hurting anyone who is in his path.

Ruthlessness is the United States’ tradition. The end justifies the means, and people voted with tradition. They slept well on Tuesday night, knowing that the future will justify their means.

Those voters who cling to power and privilege want to extend it to the military and the police, whose primary purpose is to keep people in line. You know what people. Power is maintained by its excessive use, physical, psychological, and political. Even I can run the country if I don’t have to follow any rules. That requires no leadership, only egotism.

Tough Road Ahead

Moving forward, I will focus on the fact that half of the United States isn’t interested in the “by any means necessary” method of maintaining privilege and power. White allies are growing, not shrinking. Together, we will continue the work of healing this country and making it great for the first time in history. We will find a way to be stronger together, not privileged apart.

The work of diversity, inclusion, and equity cannot be an “at-work” effort. It must be the sustenance of our lives, not dessert. We cannot afford to have a separate self at work than we do in our lives. We will have equity and inclusion in employment when we have it in our communities. We must bring our best human selves, our committed selves, into every space.

We must heal this country from a psychological focus on lack that creates fear and unnecessary competition, ultimately inhumanity. If we accept that the universe is prepared to support all humans, we will become a compassionate people. Those who refused to vote for power will explore new understandings of the world that will make us better, not just richer.

Meanwhile, let my voice be clear that I proceed with profound disappointment in this country after spending the past six months watching meeting after meeting on diversity, inclusion, and equity. New hires for diversity, equity, and inclusion are popping up everywhere. Books on the subject are flying off the shelves. Meanwhile, we’ve been preaching to the choir.

Well, we will be coming out of the choir stands. The work of inclusion is not going away. We will sing louder and stand prouder. We are not coming with fear and intimidation, but truth and reconciliation.

Election 2020
BlackLivesMatter
Black Women
Diversity And Inclusion
Slavery
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