(Click here to read the story)
I can see how, in theory, this kind of project could be a good idea. The shock of kids in Klan outfits could be a powerful image, and used to fuel discussions about racism and history. Reading this story made me think about the seminar with Tim Wise at Georgia Southern University back in 2008. The issue of racism in America will NEVER get anywhere until people, specifically White people are willing to discuss and face facts.
Besides what is this concept of racism or race?
In scientific terms race has absolutely nothing to do with skin color. The concept of white was not what Europeans classified themselves as before they came to America -- hell they didn't even like each other. The term "White" came about when you had indenture servants both of European and African decent coming together and making a plan to take down the Elite Europeans. The Elite were outnumbered (like 8-1) and decided that they only way they were going to shut down this little rebellion was DIVIDE & CONQUER. The Elite told the "working class" Europeans that hey "we're going to form a team and we are going to call it White." They gave them a little bit of land and a little more money and even offered jobs -- Fugitive Slave Catchers. Then when the Civil War occurs ... do you think it was the Elite whites who fought and died on the field ... NO ... they sent out the poor lower class whites to fight their battle. Nowadays the so-called Neo-Nazi and Confederate folks want to say that the Civil War was about States Rights. Read the speeches of the legislatures in the states that succeed from the Union -- they wanted to keep their right to own and transport slaves! So instead of getting mad at another Black person who is angry about the Civil War and Slavery, get mad at Old Grandpa and Grandma Wrinkles who sat idly by while people were treated as three-fifths of a man and they were STILL getting tables scraps next to nothing from those in power. But to them ... it was right because it was all white. Ignorance.
Whites believe that we all live in the same reality, the same world, and believe the same things about this country. If that were so, how come when Black teenagers get their license to drive the first thing that their parents teach them is when you get stopped by the police you better put your hand on the steering wheel and don't move until you ASK the officer whether you can get or reach for something. Because we as black people have seen the stats and stories of untold Black men AND women assaulted and murdered by the police (Remember Sean Bell?).
The struggles of African-Americans in this country are overtly simplified: Slavery happened, period. Then came the freedom, period. Then the civil rights movement, period. But in reality our story is so much more complicated and complex.
In schools, we are taught WHITE literature, WHITE art, WHITE history -- of course they don't call it that but everything that is WHITE is standardized and taught as the norm. Remember when you read your history books back in grade school? -- black folks probably got ONE paragraph per chapter IF that. And you tell me that it isn't a privilege to be WHITE in America.
In the end I think this assignment was a worthy, provocative assignment; however, it was very poorly executed.
