For example, it would be great for history teachers in Florida to educate students on how we, along with other Southern states, used the criminal legal system to enslave Black people after the Civil War and forced them to help build our state. (By the way, critical race theory provides perspective for how Southern states accomplished this using laws that were race neutral on their face.) How slave labor built the state of Florida — decades after the Civil War The Story of Convict Leasing in Florida It's also worth mentioning that some states still allow prisoners to be used like slave labor even today. Including . . . wait for it . . . Florida. US prison workers produce $11bn worth of goods and services a year for pittance More than 80% of incarcerated laborers do general prison maintenance, including cleaning, cooking, repair work, laundry and other essential services. For paid non-industry jobs, workers make an average of 13 cents to 52 cents an hour, according to the report. Seven states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas – pay nothing for the vast majority of prison work. ------------------------------------------------------- Guess who is disproportionately imprisoned by our racially biased criminal legal system? Guess who is then disproportionately denied their voting rights due to felon disenfranchisement (despite Amendment 4)? Racial disparities in Florida’s criminal justice system are shameful - Florida Phoenix Locked Out 2022: Estimates of People Denied Voting Rights – The Sentencing Project
You know people would engage more if people stopped with the useless old cliches. Seriously having a rational discussion on this topic always ends up with this same stupid stuff. Stop talking down to people. This dumb white dude has skin in the game (pun intended). As I have said a million times. We are a family helping my sister raise her black sons. We worry about what they face every day. It hits home to us. Stop with the lazy white guy tripe. I am asking an honest question of weather a 100 year old story actually helps them in their real life or not. I'm not the least bit interested in "sweeping it under the rug". It's like you guys see a racial discussion and have your lazy, tired, cliched quips locked and loaded.
One could ask a second question: does teaching things based upon your perspective as to what is helpful help them either? How about we not start with prefered outcomes and starts with the facts and let people come to the outcome.
Having Black nephews isn't a get out of jail free card when you say something tone deaf. Entering this thread to ask how much longer we really have to talk about the wrongs done to Black people in this country when we've barely reckoned with that history and only put an end to Jim Crow 58 years ago is ridiculous. How does teaching children of the harm we did (and are still doing) to Black people help? Those kids grow up and don't deny this country's history of racism or the vestiges of that racism like so many of the older generation today do. That generation learned a whitewashed history, and it shows. And that's not even getting into how it helps the Black children.
To me it is simply part of our history. It doesn't have to be more than one or two paragraphs in a HS history book, along with other comparable events. I watched Roots in high school in my history class. Didn't make me feel bad about being white, and it didn't increase violence in my school.
Now were making up what I said? When you are ready to have an honest discussion let me know. Im asking if 100 year old stories resonate. I in no way said we should not "talk about the wrongs done to black people". See, you have your reflexitory responses ready and i didnt even say what you are claiming.
Of course not. It just shoots down your lazy accusation about my whiteness making conversations about this "easy" for me.
The Republicans have been equal opportunity bloaters. But back to the subject. I think something as horrific as the Ocoee massacre should be talked about, yet also balance all of that out with what leaders did to free black Americans of such atrocities, and allow the same rights as white Americans. It's all about balance. It's not like we didn't react to the murders.
Does a 246 year old story resonate? Maybe we should stop talking about the Declaration of Independence? This was your post. I'll let it speak for itself:
Im literally asking that. Dont let the cliche bots paint the narrative. I have no preferred outcome. I am literally asking.
The part where you floated the idea of not teaching it because it happened a long time ago and think we need to debate whether it's "worthy" of being taught.
Hopefully this experience will teach you about implicit racism and how deeply engrained racism is in the US in more ways than just slavery and segregation.
Good lord man. What experience? Where have I ever said that? In fact it's the opposite. I say it is 100% ingrained in the present day. I'm asking if 100 year old stories are the best way to continue solving it. Are you like Lawyers spam account? Same made up rhetoric.
Being honest about our history, particularly the cruel and awful things we've done, will help our country progress, yes.
