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The US Needs a Truth & Reconciliation Commission
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu
The United States is stuck in unending cycle of racism, calls for addressing systemic racism, and the inevitable backlash and denial of the problem. We see versions of this whenever someone is killed by the police and in arguments around making curriculum decisions in our schools. It is getting us nowhere. The only way to break out of the cycle is to confront our racist legacy and move toward healing.
Our Legacy of Racism
It is long past time to tell the truth about our racist past and present. While it is uncomfortable to admit, this country has a legacy of racism going back to the time when we weren’t a country at all and just a collection of British colonies. Since the first enslaved people were brought here in 1619, we have grappled with issues of race and racism.
Racism continues to exist in our systems and institutions. There is clear evidence of systemic racism in education, law enforcement, employment, housing, and health care. This long legacy of racism is well-documented, despite the loud denials and attempts to prevent us from addressing systemic racism or even teaching the realities of our racist legacy.
