Meeting David Wilson
I am watching the MSNBC documentary “Meeting David Wilson,” which chronicles a young Black man’s journey to seek out the white man descended from the family who owned his family during slavery. Both men are named David Wilson.
The documentary is much better than I expected it to be. I found myself left with a profound sadness, although the ending seems to be hopeful. Slavery has been called the original sin our of country. Our country is forged on the blood of a race we eliminated and a race we exploited and brutalized beyond all means. Jim Crow wasn’t much better. My generation is the first who has not known (legal) segregation. Is this white guilt? No. This is reflection. Looking at the terrible place from which our country started, you would think today we would do everything in our power to reach for something better. We have reached, for sure, but still our arms stretch for the fruit the Civil Rights Era promised us, still dangling quite out of reach. Let us not forget that we still have a lot to fight for. This doesn’t mean telling Black people how to improve, but educating our white brothers and sisters (and constantly reminding ourselves) about history, privilege, and how everything that has been is connected to everything we are today.
dothewritething
Lucie,
I think a lot of the solution lies in education–of everyone. As long as you keep a people ignorant, you keep them oppressed. By failing to provide adequate education for anyone who 1) can’t afford private school, or 2) doesn’t live in a “decent” public school system, we are effectively ensuring that the children who grow up in our poorest neighborhoods are kept down by their lack of adequate education. We need to be educating EVERYONE about the real history of this country, as well as filling those in the lowest socioeconomic strata with educational tools that will help them get into college/higher paying jobs/etc. White folks need to learn about their real history (being the oppressor, living on unearned privilege, etc.) and Black people need to get a fair, honest, and worthwhile education from K - college. I don’t think this is telling Black people how to improve, but saying that we as a country should be providing ALL people with a chance to improve via education. There are several groups this country in failing because “we” fail to educate them: rural white Americans, Native Americans, almost all poor urban children, Black children, and Latino children who often don’t even get educated in a language they understand.
Just my personal thoughts on why we’re still coming up short on the reach for the fruit, and a way to get some leverage.
Really want to see this documentary–didn’t see it tonight but i DVRed it.
K
Education is fundamental (not according to the Supreme Court, but you know what I mean). And I agree history and world perspective needs to be taught to all children. However, I think saying the education system needs to be fixed is a far cry from telling black people what they need to do - it’s making a comment on what society as a whole should be doing. To clarify, when I say white people need to educate themselves I speak specifically to issues of race in America. Often when discussions of race come up white folks get defensive, and the conversation turns to black folks getting off welfare, not listening to/making rap music, use of the n-word, so on and so forth (Imus scandal is a good example of this). I think that many black people, from a relatively young age, have a different understanding of racism in this country than do their white counterparts. I simply think we, as the white community, need to deal with our own baggage without feeling it necessary to drag all we say as “wrong” with the black community into the mix.
Not that I think you (Kate) disagree. Just clarifying what I meant.
as usual, we are both trying to make the same (or associated) points by using different words and theories.
i thoroughly enjoyed the documentary but was thoroughly disappointed with the panel discussion. It was supposed to start a dialogue about how black and white brothers and sisters can communicate more effectively without bringing the 800 lb. gorilla to the table. Each black panel member brought their 800 lb. gorilla (black societal ill) to the table! If I work at Walmart with my black, white and brown brothers and sisters, I’m just trying to get to know one another, not solve the social ills of our society.