The math ain’t mathing

 


“Based on your history, I know you will fail me.” Dr. BLR

 

Freedom is not free, and history does not fade. In the coming months, America will celebrate its founding day. Scores of Americans will seize any excuse to make the celebration spectacular and monumental. Feelings are not mutual. I, for one, will not be celebrating it as the 250th year but rather as the 161st year of independence, and, more importantly, pseudo-freedom. 

As I've grown older, my ability to dismiss nonsense from individuals caught up in this country's patriotism has increased, especially among those who refuse to acknowledge its tainted history. Throughout my entire middle school, high school, and university education, I had no clue about the day commemorating the independence of the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, who finally learned they were free. “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor." — General Orders, Number 3 Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865. 

 

I can’t believe none of my history teachers told me about this monumental event in American history. I have one question. Was it done deliberately? Given what I know about this country and what has been done to Black people, I would say it was deliberate. Why do I come to this conclusion? It has been documented that enslaved Africans were barred from learning to read and, on many occasions, were beaten or killed for attempting to learn. Literacy was antithetical to the institution of slavery. To be honest, I don’t know whether I was aware of this while growing up. For some reason, it seems my teachers didn’t think it was important enough to emphasize, or maybe they did, and I just wasn’t paying attention. Moreover, why didn’t they drill into our heads that all enslaved people were not freed on the same day? I didn’t learn about this until I was in my early fifties. I am ashamed that I didn’t pursue more Black American history, but that is on me. Regardless, I am glad that former President Joe Biden designated June 19 as a federal holiday in 2021. 

 

The celebration of American history doesn’t affect every American the same way. Nevertheless, for those of us who don’t jump up and scream at the top of our lungs every time we hear the Star-Spangled Banner or when asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, it doesn’t make us any less patriotic. 

 

Lastly, since this essay started in Texas, it will end here as well. Within the past five years, two significant cases involving juveniles who killed other juveniles with a knife show that there is a bifurcated criminal justice system that values the lives of white males over those in the minority community. Why do I bring this specific incident up? As we line up to enjoy the pomp and circumstance of the upcoming festive celebration, we must never forget that Black Lives Matter, and until this is firmly established, we can never feel that America has all our backs. 

 

 

 

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