In a speech commemorating Black History month, Attorney General Eric H. Holder has taken an enormously intrepid position held by many distinguished men before him, as he held a moral mirror up to a nation that has categorically neglected its responsibility in addressing and redressing the matter of racism within its society, by citing that; "in all things racial, America continues to be essentially a nation of cowards".
Now while this compellingly honest message from the first African American attorney general purportedly caught many people off guard, I feel that Mr. Holder's articulation was not only timely, but is a matter which cannot be continually swept under the social and political rug; nor is it a statement which we can simply be dismissed as hyperbole.
Many Americans are unfortunately under the misunderstanding that our nation represents a moral beacon for the world, however, morality cannot be achieved in a vacuum - meaning that, if America is truly authentic in its resounding message of morality and human rights for all, then the matters pertaining to racism within our nation, coupled with the historical brutality and human degradation of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade must be wholly addressed.
While valiant individuals such as; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Minister Malcolm X, and Mahatma Ghandi gave their very lives in the fight against racial injustice, it is essential that we begin to ask ourselves why the matter of racism continually resides within our society, and in fact, for all intents and purposes appears to be back on the rise.
Furthermore, it is equally imperative that we as a nation truly understand that there are tremendous forces at work attempting to ensure that the status quo of not addressing the subject of racism remains in place.
In fact in 1989, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. made a proposal for a Commission to study Reparations for African American's Act (better known as Bill H.R. 40).
The bill was essentially designed to study the economic, political and social affects of slavery on Black Americans. The House of Representatives Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights has rejected the very notion of hearing this bill every year since 1989. The original vote for H.R. 40 by the House of Representatives received a meager 28 votes out of 435 members.
H.R. 40
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-40
In addition, to bring the matter closer to home; I recently founded a grass roots effort called, "The Campaign to Remove the Veil", which sole purpose is designed to implement a comprehensive study on the who, why, and where of racism into the academic system of American society, and make this study a prerequisite for graduation. Even though my efforts have been moderately fruitful, the progress of my campaign has been mostly incremental. This is undoubtedly due to America's immense trepidation in completely embracing an honest discourse on the matter of racism, and effectively working toward a viable solution for these two tremendously significant issues which continue to vex our nation.
THE CAMPAIGN TO REMOVE THE VEIL
http://www.myspace.com/removingtheveil
Historically, America and the rest of the European world have made enormous efforts in addressing, redressing and making recompense for the atrocities pertaining to the Japanese during World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Native American plight, and the survivors of the Jewish holocaust, however, when it comes to the utter degradation, emasculation, and brutality inflicted upon African Americans during the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and recompensing these atrocities, the so-called moral voice of our nation continues to remain appallingly silent.
So therefore, I submit to you that, as long as the matter of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and racism remains unaddressed and unresolved within American society; can we truly cite that the articulation of the Attorney General was that far off the mark?
You be the judge.
Our true valor and metal as a people must be steadfastly gauged by our collective ability to address and redress these matters, which continue to represent a proverbial thorn in the side of our nation. We cannot continue to substitute the truth in the name of feel good rhetoric. The facts and the truth which have been chronicled by history, must be embraced, and summarily remediated in order for us to move forward as a nation.
President's Obama's message on race in America http://youtube.com/watch?v=P_9al4IQOhk
***************************************************************************
M. QUINN is a freelance journalist born in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Author of the book "Removing the Veil".
He is also the Founder of the "Campaign to Remove the Veil"; which advocates incorporating a comprehensive study of racism into the academic system of American society, and making it a prerequisite for graduation.
From K-12 to the university academic system, Mr. Quinn categorically expresses the imperativeness of this approach toward addressing the social sickness of American racism. He specializes in social, political, and historical analysis and commentary.
THE CAMPAIGN TO REMOVE THE VEIL
http://www.myspace.com/removingtheveil
REMOVING THE VEIL - THE BOOK
http://www.lulu.com/content/286753
A MATTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS
http://www.myspace.com/a_matter_of_human_rights
A MATTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS - THE BOOK
http://www.lulu.com/content/3044703
ADDITIONAL LITERARY WORKS' BY THE AUTHOR
http://www.gather.com/viewArticles.jsp?memberId=36194
All Rights reserved by the Author
© Mar 2009 By Afromerica || [TOP]
Submit an article
Join the Mailing List
Join a Discussion
Afromerica: Where its all Black & white and some gray areas.
E-Mail Webadmin
© 2002 "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED"
A Nation of Cowards
