Oppression, Racism and Other Happy Things

[L. Inman]

Ebony wrote:

> And then the "I never enslaved anyone" thing makes my teeth hurt.  
I 
> never picked any cotton or chopped sugar cane, either, but the fact 
> remains that the class structures that are in place in America 
today 
> are indicative of what went on in the past.  My great-grandfather 
> owned his own business in Alabama and it was torched to the 
ground... 
> my grandfather owned his own business and it was swindled away from 
> him on trumped-up charges.  There was no legal forum where they 
could 
> ask for a redress of grievances.  Tell me, how many times *do* 
people 
> have to start over?
> 
> Who cares about money?  I'd much rather mainstream America shake 
off 
> its collective amnesia that seems to be getting worse by the year.  
<snip>To expect a 
> people devastated to recover from 400 years' worth of collective 
> blows in 40 short years is sheer arrogance.  All things considered, 
I 
> find it surprising that we've been able to survive, thrive and 
> contribute to the American framework in the way that we have.
> 

I am from Tulsa, Oklahoma, home of The Race Riot that expands in ever-
widening news circles since the State Commission was formed on the 
subject, and you wouldn't believe the "collective amnesia" that some 
whites attempt to enforce even 80 years later.  Or perhaps you would.

I'm white; I have nothing in common with any of the African-Americans 
in my community.  Yet whenever I handle the photographs of that 
riot's devastation and inhumanity in the course of my work (my 
library owns nearly all of the original photographs), my reaction is 
violent and visceral.  I don't blame the black community for being a 
powder keg here, not one bit, and I know two things:  strength will 
have to come from within, and recognition (a significant recognition, 
whatever form it takes) will have to come from without.  Unless those 
two things happen, there won't be anything even approaching the 
camaraderie that so many whites hope will happen without cost.  

If those same whites saw the pictures I saw, they'd know as I know 
that it'll either happen with some cost, or it won't happen.  
Period.  If we're all in this together, then we'd better act like it.

This isn't a particularly reasoned post, sorry, but the memory gets 
me every time.

Lisa I.