[Pictures below, and comments in brackets were not part of the original Salon article]
African American Georgia State troopers at KKK rally; with innocent child dress in costume, primarily worn by terrorist/racist Americans
I am a recovering racist: I was somehow taught hate as a gift of love.
“I grew up in the segregated South. It took a question from an 11-year-old to teach me how I really felt about it.”
By Jonathan Odell (from Salon.com)
As a native Mississippian and recovering racist, I finally discovered why a seemingly innocuous thing like a state (Confederate) flag can bring out the absolute worst in us.
It took a group of 11-year-old students to teach me that lesson.
After reading about my most recent novel dealing with race in Jim Crow Mississippi, the principal of a private school in Minneapolis invited me to speak with his fifth-grade students.
All the classes had been studying the Civil Rights Movement.
He said, “I read an interview with you in the newspaper and you said you were a recovering racist. Would you come talk to our kids about your experiences?”
Got it, I thought. They need a token racist.
I agreed, but I was anxious.
The principal was honest. He explained that his kids were Caucasians, and affluent Minnesotans.
They assume they are not racist because they come from good families, but the only people of color they ever see are the ones who clean their houses, cook their food and tend their lawns.
The kids were attentive, well-behaved and terrifyingly self-assured for 11-year-olds.
I spent a good half–hour sharing my memories of growing up in the segregated town of Laurel, Mississippi, in the 1950s and ‘60’s, emphasizing the politically correct messages I was sure their teachers wanted the students to hear.
Then, just when I figured I had drawn out all the moral lessons they were capable of grasping, one emboldened kid asked me something that, at least momentarily, left me speechless.
It was the type of direct yet guileless question only folks who have not learned to be politically correct could ask.
“Did you like having your own special place in the restaurant when you were growing up?”
He was referring to the nicer, cleaner, air-conditioned “Caucasians only” sections I sat in, while African Americans had their food shoved at them through a window that opened into the alley.
“Like it?”
I responded.
At first the question seemed irrelevant.
What did it matter if I enjoyed it?
The point is, it was wrong.
But from the way all the kids’ eyes lit up, I could tell the class wanted me to address the boy’s question.
He had drawn an adult off script and they couldn’t wait to see how I responded.
I knew what I was supposed to say:
“No. I did not enjoy it.”
I was supposed to tell him that it was wrong, and that it’s a horrible thing to discriminate against people like that.
“We’re all losers when that happens,” I was supposed to say.
But the boy’s instincts were right.
And fifth graders know when you are lying to them.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“It felt good.”
“I felt like I was on the winning team or voted most popular. I never thought of it before, but yes, it made me feel special.”
I glanced at the teachers in the room. They seemed concerned. This was not going the way they had anticipated.
A girl raised her hand.
“Did a African American person, ever have to give up her seat so you could sit down?”
It was obvious they had been studying Rosa Parks.
I was still off balance from the first question, editing my race history to include the fact that I liked segregation for the feelings of superiority it gave me.
The thought was disorienting.
“Yes!” I answered, and knowing where she was going with her question, I continued. “I liked that, too.“
“To see a grown man offer me his seat because I was more important than he was a good feeling.”
Before I entered the classroom that day, I felt it was enough to have condemned my past, along with those old Caucasian men who had created my racist world.
After all, I was born into that society. I didn’t have a choice. I had to follow the rules.
I’m certainly not to blame for it.
I figured a little liberal guilt was enough to buy my redemption.
But the kids’ questions presented me with a moral dilemma. I was not a neutral or innocent bystander after all, even as a child.
My enjoyment of the privileges testifies to that. In addition, it became clear to me that I got my seat because someone was forced to give up his.
For every meal I was served in the pristine restaurant, somebody had to eat theirs in an alley.
My college scholarship came at the expense of some field hand’s son who couldn’t afford to finish the eighth grade.
Each time I benefited because of my skin complexion, an African-American paid because of his dark skin.
Guilt or moral repugnance is not enough.
There is a real debt to be paid.
But the hardest thing to admit was that my racism and its inherent privileges were gifted to me by devoted parents, dedicated teachers, righteous preachers—an entire Caucasian community conspired to make me feel special.
These were good people. How could I turn on them?
What a conundrum! That would make racism a gift of love!
As toxic as those gifts were, they were presented to me out of love, by someone I loved.
What adult, much less child, doesn’t want to feel special?
What child is going to say, “No, I don’t want your gift because it takes away from others!”
We hunger for the experience of feeling special and are grateful to those who see that special-ness within us.
No wonder it’s so hard to uproot racism from our souls.
[Read: What is the real message of ‘make America great again’?
https://chiniquy.wordpress.com/2015/12/17/african-americans-have-suffered-from-caucasian-american-terrorism-for-over-100-years/ ]
If we had acquired our racism from folks we detested:
the monsters of the world,
the lynchers and
the church-bombers,
the murderous, tobacco-spitting sheriff, or
the buffoonish sheet-shrouded Klan member, or
our race-baiting governor standing in the schoolhouse door,
how easy it would be to denounce our racism and to leave that kind of destructive thinking behind.
But it’s not the villains we must reckon with.
Our role models were people we loved and trusted, those whom we allowed into our souls without question.
It’s an elderly Caucasian neighbor whom I loved dearly, telling me that her African American yardman, Joe, was not to be referred to as a “Mister.”
My schoolteacher who acted like it was the right thing, the appropriate thing, the moral thing for her students to have nice schools and new textbooks and a school bus, while the African American kids went to class in dilapidated buildings, used our castaway textbooks and walked to school regardless of the weather.
It was my preacher who told us to love people of African descent, but that God wanted the blood of the Caucasian race to remain pure.
The kind clerk who attended to me, a child, the minute I walked into his store while African American adults remained waiting in line.
No one had to explain to us we were special.
The evidence was overwhelming. We learned it from those who only wanted the best for us.
We believed them. And we didn’t want to disappoint them.
Those seeds of “special-ness” sent roots down deep into my being.
[ Unfortunately many Caucasians around the world still crave this “special-ness”.
They still want to believe that the Caucasian race is superior over all other races of people.
Read the article “Why are there so many angry, and hateful Caucasians living in our country”;
at the link below:
https://chiniquy.wordpress.com/2021/09/07/why-are-there-so-many-dis-satisfied-caucasians-in-our-country/ ]
And those roots entwine with love for my parents and God and the way I feel sad about abandoned dogs and how I get all choked up when a friend says he cares for me.
All these things are planted in the same field.
That horrible, disgusting hateful thing is part of me, too, entangled with the rest.
And often it keeps me from seeing my own racism when it rears its benevolent, entitled head.
One of those toxic gifts is that (Confederate) flag.
It elevates my Caucasian skin at the expense of one third of the population of my home state.
To accept that gift of an embellished Caucasian history means cheating others out of their own proud story.
It diminishes the soul.
It robs African American children of the chance to see themselves woven into the fabric of society.
If I’m going to be honest, I have to admit the real reason some Mississippians are so devoted to that flag:
It is a symbol of our special-ness, bestowed upon us by people that we love.
My admission that day in the classroom allowed a discussion about race that was more honest than any discussion I had ever had with adults.
We talked about ways in which African Americans, Hispanics, and others are still having to give up their seats for Caucasian people.
We talked about how that applies to disparities in educational and employment opportunities, safe streets, after-school programs, police protection, racial profiling, depictions in the media.
How some kids are cherished by society, watched over, taken care of without ever having to ask—and others seem to be cast away and forgotten.
Maybe my confession offered them a new way to see their own world. I don’t know.
But something I am sure of: I would never see my world the same.
(Jonathan Odell is the author of “The Healing” and, most recently, “Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League,” a novel that was inspired in part by his mother, one of many ill-suited 1950s housewives.
Born in Mississippi, he currently lives in Minneapolis, where he is at work on a memoir and another novel.)
(End of Jonathan Odell’s article)
The following is a comment from Coach Gregg Popovich about “African American History Month”
Gregg Popovich opens up on ‘African History Month’, Caucasian privilege and ‘our national sin‘
courtesy of Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com:
Well, it’s a remembrance, and a bit of a celebration in some ways.
It sounds odd because we’re not there yet, but it’s always important to remember what has passed and what is being experienced now by the African American population.
It’s a celebration of some of the good things that have happened, and a reminder that there’s a lot more work to do.
But more than anything, I think if people take the time to think about it, I think it is our national sin.
It always intrigues me when people come out with:
“I’m tired of talking about that,” or, “Do we have to talk about race again?”
And the answer is:
“You’re damned right we do.”
Because it’s always there, and it’s systemic, in the sense that when you talk about opportunity, it’s not about, “Well, if you lace up your shoes and you work hard, then you can have the American dream.”
That’s a bunch of hogwash.
If you were born Caucasian, you automatically have a monstrous advantage — educationally, economically, culturally, in this society and all the systemic roadblocks that exist, whether it’s in a judicial sense, a neighborhood sense with laws, zoning, education.
We have huge problems in that regard that are very complicated, but take leadership, time, and real concern to try to solve. It’s a tough one because people don’t really want to face it.
And it’s in our national discourse. We have a president of the United States [Donald Trump] who spent four or five years disparaging and trying to [de]legitimize our president [Barack Obama].
And we know that was a big fake.
But still, [Trump] felt for some reason it had to be done.
I can still remember a paraphrase [made by Trump] close to a quote “investigators were sent to Hawaii and you cannot believe what they found.”
Well, that was a lie.
So if it’s being discussed and perpetrated at that level, you’ve got a national problem.
I think that’s enough.
(End of Coach Popovich comment)
I have changed ‘Black’ to African American or people of African descent; and ‘White‘ to Caucasians; wherever it appears in the article and Coach Popovich comment.
I am 100% against using colors as a racial identification for Human Beings.
Racism has been used as a tool to divide the Human family.
Devilish minds all around the world, who have control of the media, the movie and television industry, music industry etc. keep racism alive; because it help them to manipulate and control ALL of us.
Without this racial divisions, it would be harder to control their dupes.
I am also against the term ‘Black lives matter‘.
I prefer to say “the lives of people of African descent are important‘.
It is a weakness in all Human Beings who want to believe that there is something unique about their own race.
They want to believe that their race has inborn superiority; that was not given to other races.
Flesh and blood, Human devils have been exploiting this tendency for centuries.
These devils feed the egos of those they are manipulating; by telling them that they are better than every other race.
These Human devils have invented beliefs that tell their dupes; that The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth is a member of their race.
And this god in their ‘own image‘ has given them permission to rule the whole world.
And if necessary; they must use force, to make the ‘lesser‘ races submit to the ‘master race‘.
They firmly believed, that their man-made god, had given them permission to ‘civilise the savages’.
A comic drawing from a newspaper in the late 19th century depicting the so-called “white man’s burden” of giving civilisation to savages from:
The Hawaiian Islands; India; China; Africa, the Philippines; Australia; Japan; the Middle-East; the Native people of the Americas etc.
The people of those non Caucasian nations who didn’t accept the belief of Caucasian superiority (through accepting Christianity) were slaughtered or enslaved.
They died because of Caucasian Christians‘ racism and arrogance.
The sword killed the body; while the Christian cross killed the ability to think clearly for the benefit of their own people.
The hate and fear of ‘Black people“
I don’t believe we realise that many Caucasians have been programmed over the centuries to hate and fear the term ‘black people‘.
There is a deep-seated fear and hatred in their DNA for the term ‘black people‘.
They have been programmed by Christian paintings over the centuries, to see ‘black’ skin as devilish and evil:
They were never as fearful of the terms ‘Colored people‘ nor ‘Negro people‘.
When they started labeling their race as “white people‘ centuries ago; it was a declaration to the world of the superiority of the Caucasians race.
That the ‘Caucasian race’ was the ‘master race.’
That their race had a direct connection to their Caucasian god and his Caucasian son; who they believed looked just like them.
And this ‘Caucasian god’ had given them permission to ‘rule‘ all the other races.
That Caucasians alone were civilized and all the other races were savages.
So when we began calling ourselves “black people‘ many ‘Caucasian racists’ took it as a declaration of war.
They firmly believe that we wanted to do to them; what they had been doing to us and our ancestors.
That is why many don’t care what the police or other Caucasian racists do to our people.
They have been stockpiling guns since the time we began demanding to be called ‘black’..
Many of them firmly believe that a race war between ‘black and white’ is coming.
That is why so many of them firmly believe that the ‘black lives matter‘ movement is just like the KKK; or is some type of Marxist group that is against good ‘Caucasian Christians’
They have been programmed through false teachings associated with Christianity to see the devil and demons as dark skinned men.
All these paintings above were made over the centuries showing the devil as a ‘black man.
The last one above is a British medallion called the Royal Order of St Michael and St George given to the diplomats of England. It shows a Caucasian man with his foot on the neck/head of a dark skinned man.
When Europeans first came in contact with Africans they called the ‘black‘.
They didn’t just called them black because of their dark skin color; they called them black because they saw them as being evil, and devilish.
To them black meant ignorant, savage, backwards, ungodly and prone to do evil.
That is why Angel fruit cake is white and Devil’s fruit cake is black 🙂
That is why Caucasian Christians believed it was good to enslave Africans.
[READ: Why did Christian supremacy become racist, in the 17th century?
Christianity and racism became united, in a common purpose:
Proclaiming that Caucasians were superior to other races.
https://chiniquy.wordpress.com/2019/09/15/christian-slavery-and-caucasian-supremacy/ ]
Caucasians seriously believed that their ‘Caucasian’ god agreed with them.
They were civilising the savages by enslaving them.
So if we think we are doing something good by labeling our race as ‘black’; then we are in serious error.
Centuries ago, Caucasian Europeans were the first ones to call our race ‘black‘.
And ever since we began calling ourselves ‘black’ over 50 years ago; we have been more hateful and cruel towards each other.
More dis-united and hateful within our communities, than we have ever been in our history.
The term ‘black’ has many negative meanings in the English language.
These negative meanings for black must be in our sub-conscious and maybe that is why we are now behaving badly towards each other.
I dare anyone to prove to me, that there is anything positive about calling our race ‘black.’
(End of my comment)
Pictures below of a courageous fighter against racism; Wallace D. Mohammed
Wallace Mohamed’s father, Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the ‘Black Muslim‘ organization called the Nation Of Islam
Wallace Mohammed was taught from an early age to believe that ALL Caucasians were devils.
He was taught along with all the members of the Nation Of Islam; that Caucasians were a race of devils.
That there was no goodness in any Caucasian.
He was taught that their souls was completely evil. That they were created to be evil.
That no matter how hard Caucasians tried; they could never be decent Human Beings.
Through The Grace of The Merciful Creator, he went through a miraculous change when he was still a young man.
When his father, Elijah Muhammad passed away; he became the leader of the Nation Of Islam.
Within a year he made major changes within the organization.
Including changing the name of the Nation Of Islam to: The World Community of AL-Islam, in the West.
(Later Minister Farrakhan left the community; and formed his own brand of the Nation Of Islam)
Wallace Mohammed became a champion for the rights of all Human Beings.
He fought against the division of the Human family, based on race.
Wallace Mohamed and President Jimmy Carter
Wallace Mohamed and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt 
Lady Chiara Lubich, Catholic Priest and Wallace Mohammed
Imam Wallace Mohammed At Jewish Temple
Wallace Mohammed and Muhammad Ali 
[Pictures above of Wallace D. Mohammed (son of Elijah Muhammad).
Wallace Mohammed championed the cause of uniting all Human Beings. He was a true servant of Humanity.
I included these pictures of Wallace Mohammed in this article to show; that despite the racial problems that have existed in the United States of American and many other places around the Earth; there are still people who have worked tirelessly to bring Humanity together.
Many people don’t know of the input, Wallace Mohammed made towards the peace agreement that was signed by Egypt and Israel, during President Carter’s time in office.
Wallace Mohammed was also the first Muslim minister to open the US Senate in prayer in 1992.
For whatever reason; those who secretly manipulate and control our country, don’t want the Americans, to know about Wallace Mohamed.
Many pictures and articles of him, doing any thing with people of different religions and races cannot be found on any internet search.
What I have included here came from my own Muslim Journal newspaper clippings.]
READ ALSO:
Calling Caucasians “white”, and people of African descent “black” promotes racism.
You are unknowingly promoting Caucasian supremacy, whenever you call Caucasians, ‘white’ .
See the complete article below:
https://chiniquy.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/the-error-in-calling-caucasians-white/
Verse from the Holy *Qur’an below.
With The Name of The One True **G-D, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
O mankind! ***WE created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and races, that you may get to know each other (not that you may despise each other).
Verily the most honoured ones among you in the sight of G-D are (the Human Beings who are) the most righteous of you.
And The One True G-D has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
(End of verse)
*In the 7th century the Prophet Muhammed of Arabia received the Revelation called the Holy Qur’an from the Angel Gabriel over a 23 years time period.
He did not know how to read nor write. Muhammed is referred to in the Qur’an as being an “unlettered” prophet sent to an unlettered people. Meaning he did not know how to read nor write.
**G-D instead of god which spelt backwards is dog. This is not a respectful spelling of a word to be used in reference to the All-Mighty Creator of the Heavens and Earth.
***WE, US, OUR are references in the Holy Qur’an to all of the forces of power (Angels) under the control of The Creator. They manage all creation. They are totally obedient to The All-Mighty G-D, and obeys HIS Commands without question.
www.IslamiCity.com/QuranSearch/ www.newafricaradio.com
READ ALSO:
WHAT IS THE REAL MESSAGE OF ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN’?
AND:
HERE IS A BIT OF CIVIL WAR HISTORY, THAT THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE NOT AWARE OF:
CONFEDERATE PRESIDENT, JEFFERSON DAVIS’S WIFE WAS A MULATTO ( SHE WAS OF AFRICAN DESCENT).
Click below to ‘read the article.
https://chiniquy.wordpress.com/2016/02/11/confederate-presidents-wife-was-of-african-descent
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