In relation to African-Americans, the way US history is taught in schools usually goes something like:
1.) there was slavery, and slavery was kinda bad (but the slaveowners themselves like Jefferson and Washington were good and noble. The people who set up the governance and institutions of this country were in no way impacted by the fact that they owned humans as property, nope).
2.) Civil War ended slavery
3.) Then we have Reconstruction, which affected the former slaves somehow but it’s complicated so we won’t get too deep into it. Don’t worry it won’t be on the test.
4.) Black folks then disappear from the scene for the next 80-90 years. It’s like they just sort of go into hibernation or something. Just out there in the ether. I guess nothing important happens.
5.) Then we have the civil rights movement and MLK Jr. The important takeaway from this is that everything is fine now, we defeated racism (so no need for any further “justice” in the present).
In relation to African-Americans, the way US history is taught in schools usually goes something like:
1.) there was slavery, and slavery was kinda bad (but the slaveowners themselves like Jefferson and Washington were good and noble. The people who set up the governance and institutions of this country were in no way impacted by the fact that they owned humans as property, nope).
2.) Civil War ended slavery
3.) Then we have Reconstruction, which affected the former slaves somehow but it’s complicated so we won’t get too deep into it. Don’t worry it won’t be on the test.
4.) Black folks then disappear from the scene for the next 80-90 years. It’s like they just sort of go into hibernation or something. Just out there in the ether. I guess nothing important happens.
5.) Then we have the civil rights movement and MLK Jr. The important takeaway from this is that everything is fine now, we defeated racism (so no need for any further “justice” in the present).
Yeah, that’s pretty much what I was taught.