It is a rare day that some type of racial conflict does not land at my doorstep. Predictably, many of the alluded to racial discussions are with total strangers. Yet, they still leave an indelible imprint on my soul regarding the both the present and the future of this nation that James Baldwin loved more than any other country. The catalyst behind these contentious debates is invariably some strangers flawed understanding of U.S. history. Those who attack me are cloaked in a tattered patchwork quilt of biased historical “facts” that paint “whites” as anointed by God to rule this and all other lands. Such thinkers are “a dime a dozen.” Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark) represents this populace.   

Just in case you missed it, ol’ Tom Cotton has introduced a bill titled “Saving American History Act of 2020.” Few of my countrymen seem to understand that the path to flawed public policy is a fallacious historical narrative that uses the silencing of contradictory voices and perspectives as a reliable foundation. For many of my white countrymen it appears that the propagation of a “standard historical narrative” is akin to a holy crusade. This fanaticism is the driving force behind Senator Cotton’s attack on the New York Times Magazine 1619 Project, that has the audacity to view American history through the lens of slavery.

According to Tom Cotton, the 1619 Project amounts to little more than

…a racially divisive, revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded.

Senator Cotton’s perspective is a fairly standard one for whites seeking to extend their control over ill-gotten politico-economic monopolies; a privilege that trickles down more reliably than Reaganomics.

I hope that you are not shocked that I do agree with Tom Cotton’s belief that how we as a nation reconstruct our past, matters mightily. Put simply; the history lessons American schoolchildren digest shape their understanding of this nation’s past, present, and future possibilities. Consider for a moment the potential destructive power that a whitewashed history curriculum has on the psyche of black and brown children. If black parents are not careful, their children will carry the shame of chattel slavery and integrate beliefs that black poverty is not caused by institutional racism, rather their ancestors’ laziness. According to psychologist Derrick Wilson, “far too frequently, the educational process is a traumatic one for black children.” Undoubtedly, if the referenced trauma, is left unchecked, the intellectual curiosity of black children will be dimmed.

The absence of riotous opposition to Senator Tom Cotton’s bill disturbs my soul for many reasons.

The alluded to silence means that far too many Americans agree with Senator Cotton’s perspective that the inclusion of contrary viewpoints amount to little more than “left-wing garbage” or progressive Americans do not understand its inherent dangers.

In many ways, Senator Cotton’s bill amounts to an outlandish counter-attack against “an activist movement (that) is now gaining momentum to deny or obfuscate this history by claiming that America was not founded on the ideals of the Declaration but rather on slavery and oppression.” Those who agree with such conjecture will find it difficult to accept the following historical facts. Thomas Jefferson’s reverberating words that “All men are created equal” is one of many signs of his undeniable hypocrisy and inconsistent relationship with the truth. Even Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator, is recorded as responding with a stern response of “nothing” when asked what he planned to do about chattel slavery.

Unfortunately for Senator Tom Cotton, the silencing of contradictory voices will never erase America’s sordid racial past from the historical record. Those opposing the Tom Cotton’s of the world realize that time is on their side. In many ways, it is ironic that those seeking to turn back the hands of time to “Make America Great Again” are motivated by the realization that time is not on their side. In time, those who agree with Senator Tom Cotton will realize that time, just like truth, marches forward and there is no way of stopping its procession.

In this case, the passing of time and expiration of those who agree with Tom Cotton will be a good thing, a very good thing, for American schoolchildren of all races.

Dr. James Thomas Jones III

© Manhood, Race, and Culture, 2020.